Critical analysis of affected of economic crisis on the luxury brand market Essay

I- Introduction Luxury Market has been important parts of the global retail market as well an important part of the global economy. Bain & Company (2011) estimate the value of traditional luxury market including fashion, jewellery and Dinnerware line represents approximately â‚ ¬ 150 billion to â‚ ¬ 200 billion in 2010 which is an dramatic increase from estimate that the global luxury market was worth about $ 86 billion in 1990 (McKinsey & Co, 1990). Since the 1980s, the luxury market has been growing at ten per cent per year. The growth rate of luxury is much higher than the growth rate of the global economy, which makes the luxury industry, relevant and important economic factor in the economy McKinsey (2011). Larousse (2005 p. 762) states: â€Å"Sophistication, which makes the splendour and comfort in the ways to live† The consummation of luxury by customers is due to the motivation to buy specific brands with quality products. The use of its products and consumer motivation are the result of consumption (Ahuvia & Wong, 1998). See more: how to write a good critical analysis essay Uncertainties are present in the current economic climate but Bain & Company (2011) estimates that the luxury market is going to grow in the coming years at about five to six per cent per year around the world and in Asia with more than a ten percent growth rate. As mass market manufacturing increases, companies want to increase the quality of their luxury products in order to retain their customers (Heine, 2011). A better understanding of the effect of the economic crisis on the luxury fashion brands will be identified and understood for the purposes of understanding the effect of the economic crisis on the luxury product industry. Kapferer, (2009) argues that without clear-cut specification of luxury it is impossible to distinguish the luxury consumer or luxury brand, from others who are not. In this thesis the author will start by explaining the aims and how the author intends to achieve his aims. Then a literature review will be undertaken to try and determine and define what luxury is and define various factors, which make a product luxury. The author will also try and generate a better understanding of why are luxury products important and the different target markets who they is important for. The author will discuss the methods used to complete the study. The Author will then present various factors, which affect the Luxury fashion brands in the economic downturn. Finally the author will provide his findings and conclude discussing the effects of the economic downturn on the luxury fashion market 1. 1 Rational The author has chosen to approach and better understand the world of luxury because of a personal interest at an academic level. In addition, the author being a student of luxury for more than 5 years want to deeper understand how big luxury brand adapted to the economic crisis. 1. 2 Aims & Objectives The objective of this thesis is to study and analyse the luxury market and the threats that surround it. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent the economic crisis affects the luxury market. The objective is to understand the concepts implemented by the luxury market during this period of financial crisis. This thesis will be useful for understanding and analysing the luxury market and understand the various tools marketing used. 1. 3 Research question -Understand the luxury market and its operation. -Understanding the economic crisis on the financial market of luxury and magnitude. -Assess the extent to which marketing tools are used during the economic crisis. -Include the importance of consumer and luxury image in marketing. -Evaluate the various threats of the luxury market. 1. 4 Theoretical framework II- Methodology The methodology chapter will allow the researcher to understand and describe the different methods that can be used to successfully complete the objectives of this research project and move towards the aim of the research. Gillham (2000) explained that some methods are more appropriate depending on the subject and objectives. It is necessary to adapt the methodology on the project. Gillham (2000) also argues that research is about creating new knowledge, in a multitude of disciplines such as medicine, history or social works, by using evidence in the form of quantitative and qualitative data. The definition of methodology, according to Hart (2007, p. 28) is: â€Å"A system of methods and rules to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. It provides the starting point of choosing an approach made up of theories, ideas, concepts and definitions of the topic; therefore the basics of a critical activity consisting of making choices about the nature and characters of the social world (assumptions). This should not be confused with techniques of research, the application of methodology. † In this section the researcher highlights, discusses and assesses the methods used for the collection and evaluation of data. The researcher will focus on secondary research for the purpose of this research; the methodology will include the reasoning and justification for the choice of research design, construction method and also the sample of literature to be used to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the aims and objectives of the research. 2. 1 Choice of the research design Research is defined by Saunders et al. (2003, p. 488) as â€Å"the systematic collection and interpretation of information with a clear purpose. † The goal is to collect and analyse information to get a clear and established goal. The most appropriate method for this study is secondary research. It was selected by the author with the aim of examining the luxury market and the various threats that surround it as the crisis. The goal is to achieve a critical analysis of the current market situation for luxury brands. In addition Cottrell (2005) argues that many reliable sources are now available online. Secondary research via the Internet can provide data of better quality than the result of primary research. In performing secondary research, the author has made a very wide collection of information from the literature. Reading books, newspapers and articles online, acquired a clear and comprehensive knowledge of the subject. Considered safe by Saunders et al. (2003, p. 52) and it is recommended that. â€Å"They are evaluated by peers before publication to assess their quality and convenience. † To ensure that the collection of information, theory and model’s necessary and relevant; the author also conducted secondary research in the sources of the luxury market. The press releases and video from website such as Vogue, Fashion TV, Word of Fashion has allowed to deepen the knowledge. Stewart and Kami (1993) explain that the use of secondary data sources is an advantage. In addition, the authors point out that it allows the researcher to make a comparative analysis between the new collected data and previous data. 2. 2 Construction of design â€Å"You need to maintain a critical perspective, the evaluation of the study on its own merits and in comparison with other studies on the same or similar problem. † According to Saunders and al. (2003 p. 483) Saunders et al. (2003 p. 488) explains also the research: â€Å"The systematic collection and interpretation of information with a clear purpose† The objective of the systematic collection and interpretation of information is to analyse and criticize the effects of economic crisis on the market of luxury brands. The research plan established for this research project is the collection of qualitative information in a secondary search. During the construction and implementation of secondary research, it did not just say to read the previous literature, as explained Rudestam and Newtown (2001, p. 60) Critical evaluation is an integral party of process research and allows the completion of the secondary research. According to Cottrell (2005) Critical thinking is a complex function of deliberation that provides the skills and attitudes. Human nature is not the same for everyone. Some people are suspicious and the other is in trust. But in critical thinking that is different. This is not a character trait but a system of methodology used to analyse. According to Stewart (1993) and Saunders (2003) that secondary research is better suited for this research. In this thesis, the researcher collected data only secondary, secondary research allows access to reliable information and theories that are related to branding. Stewart and Karmins (1993, p. 3) argues that secondary research differs from primary research so that secondary research is based on reliable as primary research based on the analysis of the author information. The data required for completion of the aim and objectives is readily available from various secondary research resources. Primary research could have helped to provide the researcher with a first hand insight into the industry but the lack of accessibility to the key stakeholders and also time constraints to the research made primary research not feasible. 2. 3 Scope of research The luxury market is a vast market. It includes many products such as clothing, jewellery and cars; And also many services such as travel and hotels. As the luxury market is the researcher will focus on a particular sector of the luxury product industry for the purposes of a targeted and viable research. This will help the researcher to look at factors affecting the specific area of luxury in detail. As Bain&Co (2010) suggest Fashion is now the luxury sector expanding. The current craze for the fashion industry propels the luxury clothing first. The researcher is studying the field of luxury clothing. For the purposes of this research brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dior and Chanel will be quoted at example to understand the current luxury market status. III- Literature Review A review of the literature is very important for any research and is an essential part of it (Webster and Watson, 2002). With the support of a literature review, the knowledge that is already prevalent on the topic in question may be determined (Hart, 1999). An incomplete comprehension the current literature might lead to misunderstandings on the subject. Hart (1999) defines a literature review that the widespread use of literature to support an approach to a topic the establishment of a methodology which can be used and the importance of new functionality that could potentially be supported by further research. It is also said â€Å"†¦to quality means the width and the appropriate depth, rigor and consistency, clarity and conciseness, analysis and efficient synthesis â€Å"(Hart, 1999, p. 1). Webster and Watson (2002) define an effective review of the literature to be based on in-depth knowledge, and give us an understanding of where more research is needed. Cottrell (2005, p. 127) explains that when looking for evidence to support an argument that has been spoken on the subject in the literature should be considered, where relevant information can be found and understanding of the leading authorities on the subject. From the definitions, it is clear that it can be derived from a review of the literature effective (Levy and Ellis, 2006) 3. 1 What is luxury? 3. 1. 1 Definition Luxury brands looking to be desired and known by all, but consumed only by the happy few to keep their prestige explains Kapeferer (2002) This summarizes the overall strategy of luxury brands, however, some inconsistencies persist in the clear explanation of the definition of luxury. Gutzats (1996) expresses luxury with exhaustive definition â€Å"Luxury two levels of representation. The first level is important. It includes product and brand (its history, its unique expertise and talent) second level is psychological, it is performance that our social environment and our brands influence us. † Luxury is a product with multiple objective characteristics that make it unique and rare, but also subjective characteristics with experience because of the importance that has consumers during the purchase process. The rarity factor of a product is essential to the concept of luxury. Explained by Dubois (2001), the prestige of a luxury brand can lose value if too many people own it. The distribution of a luxury product is very important; it must be selective to maintain the scarcity of the product. However, according to Kapferer (2002), the luxury market is in perpetual change. Several factors explain why the brand luxuries change their relationship with the principle of scarcity and become more accessible to a wider audience. Diversification of luxury brands with the creation of range of accessories and cosmetic product for the consumer access to the general public. Partnerships with general public brands, the Masstige contraction of Mass and prestige, or prestige for the masses. Is concept allows enlargement of the luxury market. (Kapferer, 2009) 3. 1. 2 Relativity The vision of what is necessary and desirable is relative. It depends on the perspective and perception of the consumer. Depending on the consumer perception of luxury is not universal. Buttner and al (2006) argues that relativity of luxury is divided into several categories. The economic relativity, cultural, regional, temporal and situational. 1. 3. 1. 2. 1 Economic relativity Kisabaka (2001) suggests economic relativity is expressed by the difference in perception of luxury depending on the economic situation of the consumer. For example, a pair of jeans ? 70 will be considered by a category of consumer as usual while for another it could be a luxury item. From a perspective of another consumer group a pair of jeans worth ? 2000 might not be considered a luxury product. The perception of price and its relativity to luxury can be argued to be relative to the consumer. 2. 3. 1. 2. 2 Cultural relativity Kemp (1998) suggests cultural relativity can be expressed as a function of the consumer culture. Whatever the consumer culture, luxury is a product, which is not trivial and necessary in everyday life. Kemp (1998) But cultural relativity has no reference to the availability of the product but the product vision based on the culture. A product can be considered luxury or not, based on the culture. Kisabaka, (2001) argues in some cultures a product can be ordinary and undesirable while for another it will be indispensable to belong to the culture of his country. For example, alcohol can be seen as a luxury product in European countries, while in Islamic countries there will be a product that very few people consume. (Berthon and al. , 2009) However, Mortelmans (2005, p. 497) argues: â€Å"Every social group can be said to have its own luxury† Reith & Meyer (2003) suggests every culture has its symbols and social distinctions. The consumer of the same culture can be part of different socio-professional category. For example, the hip-hop culture embraces gold teeth and considers it a luxury while it might not be desirable for a different cultural group. Kemp (1998) also argues cultural values express different preferences of luxury; they differ depending on age, sex, and education. It is important to differentiate the perception of luxury based on knowledge of the symbols of luxury. But also different perceptions in different cultural groups. 3. 3. 1. 2. 3 Regional relativity Reith & Meyer (2003) express regional relativity in terms of availability of the product. A product mass distribution in a country will not have the luxury status. However, a product, which is rare in a country, takes of value because of its rarity and exclusive distribution. For example, a sunny day at the beach can be considered as a luxury for the countries of Europe. But in the Caribbean this represents the daily weather. 4. 3. 1. 2. 4 The Temporal relativity. Matsuyama (2002) defines temporal relativity by changes in perceptions of luxury over the years. The reasons for these changes in perceptions are societal trends and the development of technology. (Schiereck & Koenigs, 2006) Technological advances for consumer products can change their perspective of luxury For example, Reith & Meyer (2003) the television was created in the 1930s when it was considered a luxury, since the progression of technology televisions are present widely in his homes which has led to a change in the perception of luxury. This product has become common in homes is no longer a luxury product. However Koschel (2005) argues that the process can be expressed in the opposite direction. Natural resources such as clean air, water became scarce in some countries. Kapferer (2008) suggests temporal relativity is a specific factor of luxury because it is not stable and steady and could change readily. (Jackel & Kochhan, 2000) Luxury is not universal and adapts as a function of some factor. It is important for companies to understand these factors and adapt ait’s marketing to influence different groups to sell its products. 3. 2 Luxury customer Gilles Lipovetsky (2009), philosopher suggests: â€Å"Do not have faith in a future that is mechanically better and fairer, there are still people in the hope of a better life, the feast of the senses, the beauty to expect that we leave the monotony of everyday life. Luxury is no longer the accursed share, but â€Å"dreams, excellence and superlative, this human need. † It can be inferred from the above statement that luxury for a consumer is an achievement of itself. A luxury consumer wants to show his wealth and property, luxury goods are a reflection of the wealth. The motivation of pleasure today became the first luxury purchase motivation to its traditional buyers. (Gilles Lipovetsky, 2009) According to Okonkwo (2007) a purchaser of luxury products cannot be considered as a mere client of luxury, but as an individual part of a network of the brand. It is by sharing with him the ritual and the traditions of the bard, which they have purchased, by teaching the consumer these details about the brand itself the sense of community and attachment towards a brand is built. It can be inferred that unlike mass-market brands, the luxury brand should tell a story and to give the customer want to be a part. Gilles Lipovetsky (2009) explains luxury Consumption Consuming is both a product, a legend / myth, tradition, knowledge and ritual use. 3. 2. 1 Customer behaviour Kapferer (2004) suggests that there are several categorize consumers of luxury brands into different groups. Lombard (1989) argues that customers can be differentiated on the basis of their purchasing power. A customer with the financial resources has the capacity to buy products from all the different categories of luxury products (see section 3. 4. 3). These elite customers not only form the key user base of the product but also are a great advertisement for the luxury status of the product. Customers of the elite are the generators of the turnover of luxury brands. They are loyal and hold the financial resources to consume luxury goods when it desires. This type of customer only buys clothes from luxury brands. Occasional customers have the financial resources necessary to consume luxury products but are not addicted. They consume luxury when the mood or the occasion arises. They are not faithful because they can change the luxury brand in the trend. (Bain&co, 2008) The low-income customers who consume when their financial situation allows them. This type of customer consumes the occasional high-priced products for exceptional period (Christmas, birthday). However this type of client is the target of entry-level luxury products. Low-income customers consume perfumes and cosmetics in large quantities. This allows them to detain a part of the brand without spending an extravagant amount. According to Berry (1994), three levels of luxury can be presented: the unattainable luxury reserved for extremely rich people, luxury means restricted to middle class high and affordable luxury reserved for the middle class. Each level corresponds to a totally different type of marketing because the target is not the same, the brand must adapt depending on the area they choose. Consumer’s behaviour while buying luxury products can be affected by three different effects. (Leibenstein, 1950) 5. 3. 2. 1. 1 The Veblen Effect One can distinguish consumption to be under the Veblen effect, conspicuous consumption. Leibenstein, (1950) suggests the consumer buys the luxury product due to its high price. The work of Bourne (1957) explains the influence of peer groups on consumers in their purchases of luxury goods. Vigneron and Johnson (1999) also argue that a positive relationship is observed between conspicuous consumption and peer groups. In addition, Bearden and Etzel (1982) also explain that to buy the product in public is a sign of Veblen because the customer wants to be seen buying a valuable product. The consumer wants to show their wealth, status and power (Veblen, 1899). The price of the products is considered important in the minds of consumers, it represents the quality. (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999) Erickson and Johansson (1995) conducted a study showing that the price can judge the quality of a luxury item. It is also agued the customer who consumes with effect Veblen is attentive to the quality of the product. 6. 3. 2. 1. 2 The effect of Snob According to Leibenstein (1950), the effect of snob is a complex concept. A consumer with the snob effect takes into account the emotional and personal desires which Influences the behaviour of others is also a factor that pushes the purchase of products of luxury brands. For example, the launch of a new product, create exclusivity, snob effect causes the immediate purchase. Few clients have this product at the launch, the customer will feel different and above other consumer, it is preferred. A luxury item in limited sale has a great value while a readily available product will be less demand and will not have a high value; unusual item brings respect and prestige. (Solomon, 1994) However, after some time, the general public and the mass consumers consume the product, the snob consumers reject the product. The unique product, popular and expensive does not stay long. Demand is growing rapidly and the product loses value. (Verhallen and Robben, 1994) 7. 3. 2. 1. 3 The Bandwagon Effect Bandwagon effect is a different concept of the two previous. In this effect, the product is consumed by the mass market, its demand in the market is important. Consumers are buying this type of product in order to have a luxury product and belong to a group. The luxury product is the similarity between the members of the group. (Leibenstein, 1950) For example, a consumer group buying the same mass-produced luxury feel they belong to the same social class. The product is generally in the current trend and at affordable price. Berry (1994) argues Bandwagon consumers buy the product to look like other consumer and access a different social class a different group. 3. 2. 2 Price McKinsey (1990) suggests that the price is the first characteristic, withheld to qualify luxury goods. It is evaluated as the criterion most objectives and most quantifiable to measure the quality of luxury. . Dubois and Duquesne (1993) also suggest that luxury product must be at a high price to be credible; it is an essential criterion for the qualification of the same as a luxury. Kapferer (2001) argues although the price is a very important criterion for the luxury product it is not the whole product. It can be found on the market for very expensive products that are not necessarily luxury items due to lack of quality and luxury marketing. The brand positioning reflects its class. In addition, Kapferer and Bastien (2009) also argue that the consumer looking for a luxury product is ready to pay the price but he also wants. Indeed, the consumer wants to own an expensive product because it provides the purchaser with recognition, which is valuable. The researched can infer that price is price is an important guideline of a luxury product. In addition, Danielle ALLERES (1997) states: The fair price for a luxury product based on a perfect correlation between the level in the world of luxury, rarity and its brand reputation. According to Julian Levy and Jacques Lendrevie (2009) a policy of skimming or price skimming is a pricing policy, which consists of a high price (often partially disconnected from the cost) that customers can choose, the price can directly target customers. It also maintains the image of luxury brand and reputation. (Julian Levy and Jacques Lendrevie, 2009) also argue that luxury product cannot be sold at a discount price. It may lose its value and caused the damage to the brand. 3. 2. 3 Exclusivity Kisabaka (2001) suggests scarcity of a product is also an important part of making it luxury. A luxury consumer wants exclusivity and differentiation. For example, a customer who purchases a product from a luxury brand would expect it to be exclusive and would not like it for it to be a mass-market product. (Catry, 2003) also points out luxury brand must ensure the rarity of its products by limiting the production and individualization of products. 3. 4 Luxury brand A brand can be expressed as the identity of the company and the consumers it targets. The brand must represent a clear image in the minds of target consumers. (Esch, 2011) The luxury brand is associated with its flagship products and basic products on the basis of which consumers assimilate the product image. (Kapferer, 2008) For example, the little black jacket from Chanel is the flagship product for years and is constantly equated with the image of Chanel. (http://thelittleblackjacket. chanel. com) Meffert and Lasslop (2003) suggest that different definitions of luxury represent the association of product characteristics and brand. A luxury brand is associated with an image that is ubiquitous in the consumer’s mind, which is itself associated with a luxury product: high price, perfect quality esthetical, the scarcity of the product and the product exceptional characters. 3. 4. 1 Relationship Product/Brand A luxury brand must not only offer luxury products but also offer ranges of products more accessible products to maintain the brand status. The goal would be to reach a wider target customer. (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009) For example, luxury brands such as Chanel and Dior, offer ranges available such as key rings or jewellery phone products. This allows consumers to enter and feel to be a part of brand, with an affordable price. In addition, brands offer masstiges products; this concept is the combination of a luxury brand with a current and accessible brand to the public. For example, H & M has many partnerships with luxury brands and top designer. (Kapferer, 2008) Collections are distributed in H & M stores at affordable prices to the general public. This marketing tactic provides high visibility for luxury brands to the mass market. In contrast, non-luxury brands try to portray themselves to be offering a range of products, which include a touch of luxury for another customer segment. For example, as Lufthansa airlines offer flights with luxury service at an additional cost such as offering extra-large seats, bigger entertainment systems and meals cooked to order. This demonstrates the relationship between a product and brand is important. It can also be inferred that a luxury brands have to offer luxury products to maintain its brand image. Furthermore the quality and status of a product will only remain one that of a luxurious item if the brand is rated as a luxury brand. 3. 4. 2 Type of luxury brand Luxury brands can be categorised using various different factors, which affect a brand. 8. 3. 4. 2. 1 Luxury brand level Esteve and Hieu-Dess (2005) argues level of brand can be differentiated on the basis of the levels of luxuries performed. It is therefore important to distinguish luxury brands based on a category. The entry-level: products of entry-level correspond to the product seen above in relation brand / product. Its products are part of the range luxury brand but with affordable prices. In its entry-level, there are the masstiges and the products of luxury brands at affordable prices. Example: Hugo Boss Fragrance Luxury product middle level: These products are part of the luxury range, but they are not maximum level. Its products are accessible while maintaining their entities luxury. Example: Marc Jacobs, Moschino. Luxury goods of high level: These products represented luxury in pure state. These ranges of products are of high quality and high price. Example: Hermes Produces luxury level of the elite: This product is the top of the ladder. This segment is the most luxury products. Its quality and marketing must be irreproachable, they represent the brand. To reference the type of product is Chanel, Dior. According to the relativity of luxury explained above, the established classification can be modified over time. A brand can go from middle level to level for elite customer. It may be noted its changes based on trends, seasons and different cultures. (Phan and al. ,2011) Conversely, certain brand may lose their luxury positioning if it does not fit depending on relativity. For example, Christian Lacroix, who lost his rank High Fashion due to improper adaptation of its marketing and its collections. (Bain&co, 2009) 9. 3. 4. 2. 2 Luxury brand awareness The leading products and notorieties are very important in the management of the brand and in its differentiation. A luxury brand should differentiate itself from others with its marketing strategy and advertising. The knowledgeable consumer expects certain notoriety, it must be found in the marketing strategy. The luxury brand needs to focus its marketing and marketing in a niche. If a brand decides to sell luggage, clothing, jewellery and does not fit its marketing it will no longer be identified as specialize and thus not as a luxury brand. (Meffert and Lasslop 2003) Awareness of the brand in the minds of the public is essential. The flagship products create the brand awareness; even if its products are for purchase only certain category of customer it represents the brand. Previously the author explained the importance of quality and marketing for the range of customer connoisseur but this process is also important for the client who never will buy the product. Its customers will be interested in the brand and will position as a luxury brand (Kapferer, 2009) The primary objective of the luxury brand is to become known around the world to demonstrate its performance and quality. (Phan and al, 2011) In addition, for a customer of the elite luxury product group buys a flagship product is a sign of wealth, it is important that the product meets this demand (Kapferer & Bastien, 2009). 3. 4. 3 Marketing technique If the marketing of mass consumption appeared after World War II during the post-war boom, the first luxury marketing techniques already existed in the seventeenth century. Berry (1994) The companies in the luxury sector can manage the time by recalling the history of their homes through codes. For example, Chanel, two legendary fragrance: N  ° 5 – first perfume by Gabrielle Chanel launched in 1921 and still one of the best global industry sales – is the lucky number of Coco, and No. 19 is reference to the date of birth of the Creator August 19, 1883, this history is an important part of the marketing strategy of the companies these days as they entice buyers by presenting a history and tradition of the product. Each of the luxury goods is modernized, redesigned while respecting the history of the house, called in luxury marketing an incremental leap technique. (Kapferer 2009) Thus, the customer discovers and buys without hesitation a new version of a mythical product that meets the codes of the house, allowing sales to continue to grow. The success of these products is only possible through the transfer of know-how of artisans and small hands working in the workshops. Embroiderers, milliners, dressmakers, all these businesses demonstrate a thorough knowledge and quality that are transmitted in time while upgrading. This concept allows the luxury home to restart their old products maintaining the brand image. A new advertising campaign is designed and the product is restarted. During a period of crisis, this concept is used by numerous brands. (Meffert & Lasslop 2003) Luxury brands must carefully control its distribution channels. (Esch 2011) the industry knows how to stage each of its products in places specific distribution channels for each target group. Thus, it is imposs.

Programming Language and Effects Essay

In computer science , a function or expression is said to have a side effect if, in addition to returning a value, it also modifies some state or has an observable interaction withcalling functions or the outside world. For example, a function might modify a global or static variable , modify one of its arguments, raise an exception, write data to a display or file, read data, orcall other side-effecting functions. In the presence of side effects, a program’s behavior depends on history; that is, the order ofevaluation matters. Understanding and debugging a function with side effects requires knowledge about the context and its possible histories. [1] [2] Side effects are the most common way that a program interacts with the outside world (people, filesystems, other computers on networks). But the degree to which side effects are used depends on the programming paradigm. Imperative programming isknown for its frequent utilization of side effects. In functional programming , side effects are rarely used. Functional languages such as Standard ML , Scheme and Scala do not restrict side effects, but it is customary for programmers to avoid them. [3] The functional language Haskell restricts side effects with a static type system ; it uses the concept of monads to do stateful and IO computations. [4] [5] Assembly language programmers must be aware of hidden side effects — instructions that modify parts of the processor state which are not mentioned in the instruction’s mnemonic. A classic example of a hiddenside effect is an arithmetic instruction which explicitly modifies a register (an overt effect) and implicitly modifies condition codes (ahidden side effect). One defect of an instruction set with many hidden side effects is that, if many instructions have side effects on a single piece of state, like condition codes, then the logic required to update that state sequentially may become aperformance bottleneck. The problem is particularly acute on processors designed with pipelining (since 1990) or with out-of-order execution . Such a processor may require additional control circuitry to detect hidden side effects and stall the pipeline if the next instruction depends on the results of those effects.

Binocular Vision Of Myotragus Balearicus

Binocular Vision Of Myotragus Balearicus Have you ever been to a zoo? If you stroll to the zoo, you will see a lot of animals but, do you observe enough? If you have a closer look, you will notice that different animals have different placement of eyes depending on their eyes’ functions. Mark Changizi (2008) proposed that forward-facing eyes allowed our ancestors to see through the dense leaves and branches in their forest habitat which is related to clutter problems in the visions. The clutter problem is not so beneficial to large-bodied animals in forests but for smaller animals, they will have less clutter because their heads are small enough to see in between branches and leaves. As we all know, terrestrial herbivores are animals that live on land and only eat plants and they have their eyes on both sides of their heads. Most terrestrial herbivores have the monocular vision because they are the prey, which they use their vision as a defense mechanism or to search for food. On the other hand, binocular vision tend belongs to predator as they use their vision to search for their prey because binocular vision has wider area of vision and more sharp. The history of how Myotragus balearicus was found is when Bate went to Majorca to search for dwarf hippopotamesus and elephants but unfortunately she failed in finding them. Instead, she found remains of strange goat with ever growing rodent-like incisors. She named it Myotragus balearicus, literally the mouse goat of the Balearics. Kopper and Waldren (1967) claimed that Myotragus would show clear sign of domestication. Therefore, human and these bovids have been contemporaneous with each other. However, despite their claims, association of human remains and Myotragus at Muleta Cave (about 7230 years ago) and at rock shelter Son Matge cannot be confirmed. After all the analysis, they all come into a conclusion that Myotragus was an animal that frequently sheltered in caves and rock shelters, previously hinted at by Bate (1909), a quite normal behavior for ruminant. On the other hand, the extinction of Myotragus probably was not caused by a climatic change but was due to human colonization of the islands. The human activity may be hunting or human-induced changes to its habitat. The latter cause is suggested by relatively sudden replacement of Buxus balearicus woods by Olea europaea maquis shrubland around the time of the first human arrived at that island. Based on direct dating of the Myotragus bines, its extinction on Majorca and Carebra is estimated 5700 years ago and Minorca 5970 years ago. Despite earlier claims, there is no reliable evidence for the presence of Myotragus in the human layers get Majorca. This indicates by the time of 4000 years ago, the line age had already gone extinct, same goes to Minorca. Carebra was not inhabitant before the Ounic times (23 000 years ago), and therefore not have played any role in Myotragus extinction. Given the lack of evidence for an overlap of coexistence of humans and Myotragus, in combination wit h the restricted mobility and the assumed tameness of the latter, it is possible to think of a very rapid extinction following the arrival of humans, leaving no archaeological record. As for now, scientists are currently researching for why the Myotragus balearicus have binocular vision because their eyes were placed at the front, although goats are generally known belong to the prey group because majority of goats had their eyes at both sides of their head. Thus, this thesis will discuss why terrestrial herbivores have their eyes located on both sides of their head and why Myotragus balearicus did not have them placed in that way.

Paper on the book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper on the book - Essay Example A clear analysis of the period reveals that Ferdinand’s assassination was a less aberrant attack and more typical of the times, and challenges the argument of those who perceive the years prior to the war as relatively tranquil. Several other occurrences during the period indicate that the period was quite abnormal than one might think. These events include the assassination of protuberant figures including Australia’s empress (1898), president of French republic (1894), king of Italy (1900) and the 1901 killing of American president. Additionally, the outrageous fact that terrorists in those days killed millions of people by driving explosive-laden vehicles into buildings indicates technical restrictions (Stone, 196). However, these were not anomalous events during the period considering the many activities that had transpired and disrupted peace in Europe. Although the first three quarters of the 19th century were quite tumultuous, the evidence presented by Norman comprehensively convinces readers that terming the period 1878-1919 as a turning point in Europe on the basis of the tranquil that was experienced is merely a misrepresentation of facts. The internal commotions and raucousness experienced were so much. Germany failed to win WWI due to poor military strategies, poor Kaiser’s coordination, and was fighting against a highly tactical and military powerful entente that could balance means and will with ends. German naval tactics reveal misappropriation and misallocation. Considering that it had greatly been weakened by the Britain naval in the years prior to WWI, the navy could be better organized and resources allocated effectively if Germany’s dream of winning the war were to materialize. Instead, 1895-1914, billions were irresponsibly used for surface fleets, scoffing funding for inventions such as submarines, while only twenty five of its submarines were in a

Contractor case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contractor case study - Essay Example b. Public liability insurance details c. Details of any licensed security to be employed In reply to our correspondence with the Liquor and Gambling Commission, we were told that alcohol will not be sold or supplied to intoxicated persons or persons under the age of 18 years and we should ensure the safety and comfort of those attending the function by not permitting overcrowding in any area. We were also asked to display the limited license in a prominent position during the whole of the function. Lastly we were asked to nominated person(s) to take responsibility for the sale, consumption or supply of liquor during the function i.e. the applicant or nominated person organizing or taking control of the function, must be present at the function at all times when liquor is being sold, consumed or supplied. (Office of Liquor & Gambling Commissioner 2003, Government of South Australia) Draft of the letter sent to the Council: To Whom It May Concern ____________ (***Your Organization Name***) will be organizing an Outdoor Cinema Night at the "Mrs.Macquaries Char" of Sydney Botanic Gardens, which we hope shall be a fun-filled evening. The event will officially start at 7pm on the 14th of May 2008, first featuring the performance by the dance troop, then we shall be having a break for food and drinks the evening will end with the broadcast of "Bourne Supremacy" at "OpenAir Cinema", Mrs.Macquaries Point from 9pm to 12 pm. Yours Sincerely, ________________(***Your Organization Name****) Contractors: - We will be making use of various contractors: 1. "Be Productions": Be Productions is a Sydney based production company and national leaders in Open-Air Cinema event management. Be Productions will be undertaking for us, the complete set-up and...entertainment consent/trading hours). In reply to our correspondence with the Liquor and Gambling Commission, we were told that alcohol will not be sold or supplied to intoxicated persons or persons under the age of 18 years and we should ensure the safety and comfort of those attending the function by not permitting overcrowding in any area. We were also asked to display the limited license in a prominent position during the whole of the function. Lastly we were asked to nominated person(s) to take responsibility for the sale, consumption or supply of liquor during the function i.e. the applicant or nominated person organizing or taking control of the function, must be present at the function at all times when liquor is being sold, consumed or supplied. (Office of Liquor & Gambling Commissioner 2003, Government of South Australia) The event will officially start at 7pm on the 14th of May 2008, first featuring the performance by the dance troop, then we shall be having a break for food and drinks the evening will end with the broadcast of "Bourne Supremacy" at "OpenAir Cinema", Mrs.Macquaries Point from 9pm to 12 pm. All Time Securities success is driven through innovation and customer satisfaction.

U.S. Border Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. Border Security - Essay Example For instance, activities like business, import and export of labor, tourism and inward-investment that are considered very significant in the development of a nation should be facilitated. On the other hand, tight security should be enhanced at the borders to prevent the entry of criminals seeking to violate border control and national laws (Policyalmanac.org, 2003). Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, national security became the top priority in the Customs and Border Protection of the United States where federal government immediately passed the Patriot Act in the fall of 2001. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents implement all appropriate US laws. The CBP prevents smuggled goods, narcotics and agricultural pests from crossing the country’s border. It also spots and captures warrant criminals. The attacks in US called for international cooperation in preventing and eradicating the acts of terrorism while the General Assembly of the United Nations declared supporters of the acts of terrorism be held accountable. Following this attack, efforts to combat terrorism were adopted globally. The international community through the United Nations Security Council adopted a common set of obligations with a determination to fight and end international terrorism, which was considered a threat to international peace and security (Cbp.gov, 2011). Moreover, on September 28, 2001, the Security Council adopted a resolution that established a number of obligations to all the UN member States. Under this resolution, the UN member States were required to fight against international terrorists, their groups, organizations and supporters. Nonetheless, the members were also required to prevent the financing of terrorism and prevent terrorists from entering their States. The United States is still waging a campaign against terrorism in its state and beyond. This is evident through the action it is

How is genocide defined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How is genocide defined - Essay Example They are a phenomenon of the plural society, with its marked divisions between racial, ethnic, and/or religious groups. Plural society theory deals with the relations between these groups, and the conditions promoting peaceful cohabitation, integration, or violent polarization leading to genocide. It has no application to the genocides of international war, committed in armed conflict between separate states. The Convention definition of genocide is summarized as the intent to destroy in whole or â€Å"in part a racial, ethnic, religious, or national group as such, by killing members of the group or imposing conditions inimical to survival† (Show and Schott 2005, 34). The inclusion of mental harm among the acts constituting genocide seems incongruous, but it must be read in the overall context of the intent to destroy the victim group. Under Article I of the UN Convention, the contracting â€Å"parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of wa r, is a crime under international law† (Show and Schott 2005, 17). The Convention was adopted in 1948 by the UN General Assembly. The notion â€Å"genocide† was developed by R. Lamkin in 1943. He joined two words â€Å"genos† which means family or tribe and â€Å"occidere† which means massacre and killing. Also, Lamkin developed a draft for the Genocide Convention. The main strength of this Convention is that 137 countries recognize mass killing as a crime against humanity and were obliged to prevent genocide on their territories. The main strength of the Convention is that it recognizes genocide and interprets it as â€Å"the crime against humanity†.

Assignment - Operations Management Research Proposal

Assignment - Operations Management - Research Proposal Example 5. Customer demand is expected to vary. Although general patterns may emerge, due to the change of time zones, customers are likely to demand a full three course meal at any time of the day or night. However, a restricted menu is proposed at the quiet times. Our supply chain management analysis, proposals and strategies will deal with the process of effective planning and control of the operations that make up the restaurant's supply chain from the point of origin of the ingredients and other items of restaurant use by the suppliers to the point of consumption of the prepared food by the customers. The supply chain encompasses all the activities, facilities and functions that are involved in producing and delivering the food. For a better analysis of the 7 points listed above, we could divide them into two categories: By identifying these six parts of the supply chain, we can ensure the overall efficiency in the planning and control of the restaurant's operations by analysing the efficiency of each in turn, and implementing strategies, if necessary, to increase efficiency in that particular process. For instance, if we know that the ingredients are taking longer than they should in reaching the restaurant, the time taken could be minimised by using own transportation, changing the means or timing of the transport or looking for alternative suppliers.

Letter of Intent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter of Intent - Essay Example At the age of 11, I moved to the new world and it was in America that I fully experienced the problems of adjusting and integrating into a new culture. From the language spoken on the streets to the manner in which the schools functioned, everything was different and everything was new. I feel that I could have simply faded out and been overwhelmed with pressure had it not been for the kind teachers and other professionals who were willing to help. I remember one teacher in particular who clarified to me both cultural and educational differences and spent hours of her time engaged with me after work. I recall that even knowing the different currency values was an enlightening step for me. Even understanding the various mathematical conventions became a revelation for me since it allowed me to perform better at school. The dedication of these teachers put me in a position that today I wish to be a teacher myself and help those who may need assistance from my side in any way I could provide it. This is the root of my intent since I clearly remember the hard work, effort and persistence of individuals such as her. My life experiences were changed completely due to the care shown by my teachers and I hope to carry on the same process. I particularly want to focus on Low-income communities since they may have many children who desperately need help I am sure that I can make a positive difference in their life by sharing my experiences with them and teaching them. I also believe that without the presence of organizations such as the corps, many such children could easily be lost in the system. To conclude, my personal aim in working for the corps is completely inline with the agenda of the corps to provide all possible support to the children who are growing up in low income communities. I have no qualms in saying that my aim certainly stems from my own experiences and the difficulties I faced in coming to accept a

Leadership in organisations (Reflective journal assignment) Essay

Leadership in organisations (Reflective journal assignment) - Essay Example Similarly, while it’s important to recognize one’s weaknesses as a leader, I also believe that it’s important to recognize one’s strengths and play into them and work towards further strengthening these aspects of one’s personality. In these regards, I scored fives in the trustworthy, outgoing, and friendly categories. In these regards, I will attempt to cultivate these traits in becoming a more effective leader. In examining my personal assessment scores on the page 64 questionnaire I found it illuminating in terms of the comparisons that can be made among the divergent skills. In these regards, my Technical Skill score was 21, while my Human Skill score was 28, and my Conceptual score 19. Similar to the questionnaire on page 34 these varying scores function to demonstrate areas to me wherein I can work to improve my weaknesses; clearly my Conceptual score is significantly lower than my Human Skills score. While I recognize that it’s important to work towards improving one’s weaknesses, I also believe these scores can be used in leadership when it comes to delegation. A strong leader will have a working knowledge of themselves and areas where it would be more beneficial to the objective to delegate these responsibilities to others. Finally, the questionnaire on page 85 gave me increased self-knowledge into my leadership traits, as well as others perception of me. In these questionnaires I scored in the moderately high range for Tasks with a 39 score, and then scored in the high range for Relationships with a score of 42. While both of these scores relatively high, I recognize that they both leave room for improvement. They also speak towards my type of leadership style in indicating that I tends more towards relationship oriented leading, than simple task based. In these regards, I could change the style by

George Washington Plunkitt Essay Example for Free

George Washington Plunkitt Essay In the late 19th century, battle lines of distaste and resentment were drawn between the new immigrant class and the current American citizens. In New York City, the Nativists and the Irish Catholic community clashed on opposing sides of the line. The majority of Irish Catholic immigrants were uneducated, unskilled, and alien to the industrial city life of the new world. Their mass numbers filled up the city’s slums, poor houses, and prisons. With strong aversion from New York Nativists, the Irish immigrant community was initially obstructed from attaining governmental support. This void in representation of such a massive percentage of New York’s population allowed for the emergence and great success of Tammany Hall leaders like George Washington Plunkitt. George Washington Plunkitt, born in 1842, grew up surrounded by this new immigrant Irish-Catholic community. He identified with the city’s immigrant poor and working class; the resented New York Irish were Plunkitt’s community. Although Plunkitt used his political status for his own benefit, his position as a political leader was useful for his community. Plunkitt’s nepotistic beliefs, while controversial, proved to benefit his community. He had a strong belief in the spoils system and stood for â€Å"rewarding the men that won the victory† (12). He could not foresee the existence of a party system that did not place its own workers in offices (13). He candidly discussed the impossibilities of â€Å"[keeping] an organization together without patronage† (36). In response to an accusation of Tammany Hall’s patronage, Plunkitt expressed his belief that there is no one more in need, better fit, or more anxious to serve the city than Tammany workers (51). Although this outlook gave Plunkitt a controversial ‘quid pro quo’ attitude towards government affairs, his community benefitted from this arrangement. This arrangement allowed Plunkitt to provide jobs to his supporters who might have otherwise suffered unemployment. A majority of Plunkitt’s supporters were uneducated and unskilled migrants who were generally feared and disapproved of. Plunkitt meanwhile knew â€Å"every big employer in [his] district and in the whole city† and made a point to keep track of the jobs (27). These connections enabled Plunkitt to provide jobs for the men he considered ‘deservin’ † (27). To him, a deserving man is any man with a vote for Tammany Hall. Not only did Plunkitt provide jobs to his constituents but he also provided rudimentary support and a form of insurance for the poorer families in his district. If a family in his district was in need, he was able to â€Å"fix them up† until they were on their own feet again (27). He proclaimed â€Å"no Tammany man goes hungry in my district† (36). Plunkitt made it unmistakably clear though, that while it was a philanthropy he was offering, it was only in the name of politics. For example, after describing the support he offered to families burdened by the devastation of a fire, he selfishly asked himself how many votes one fire could bring him (37). Although Plunkitt was never without a self-interest motive, he was in a unique position having the ability to be a provider for families in need. At the time, there was no government welfare system established. Instead, the poor and those in need could rely on the welfare offered by Plunkitt; his community benefitted from his ability to take care of them. Plunkitt’s own benefits from government are obscured and, in some way, vindicated because of the support he provided for his community. Plunkitt made a fortune in politics but in return succeeded in getting big improvements for New York City (28). If Plunkitt had not made his pile in politics, the social net he controlled would have collapsed. The community would have been worse off if he had not reaped the benefits from government and used his own funds to provide assistance to the poor. Plunkitt was in no way a philanthropist but in becoming a nepotistic and selfish government official who used politics for his own advantage, he became useful to his community. Plunkitt saw a vote in everyone, no matter his or her status. He had the ability to â€Å"be several sorts of a man in a single day† (45). He could â€Å"talk grammar† with the wealthy but also connect with the common people of his district (45). He kept is constituents close and would â€Å"do them a good turn whenever he [had] a chance† (46). Plunkitt’s adaptable personality and mercantile approach towards politics made him valuable to his community. With his status and fortune, he supported his community and provided government representation for the new Irish immigrant class. He was a provider of jobs and a provider of welfare in return for a vote.

Binge Eating Disorder Essay Example for Free

Binge Eating Disorder Essay For centuries, many psychological disorders had plagued mankind. Humanity has suffered from many psychological disorders such as anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and many more. One kind of disorder that rose in numbers in the twenty-first century are eating disorders. Eating disorders can be categorized into three types. Theses are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Of the three types of eating disorder, binge eating disorder is more complex when it comes to its symptoms and manifestations. To further understand binge eating disorder, we must first understand what are eating disorders and what factors can affect people who manifest these kinds of disorder. Eating disorders are disorders of eating habits of individuals. According to social-cultural theorist, most eating disorders usually are common in cultures where the thinness of the body is considered attractive and more acceptable (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). The factors that affect eating disorders can range from a person’s culture, environment, his/her family background, genealogy and biological factors. In the three kinds of eating disorder, anorexia nervosa is a disorder where one refuses to eat to become fat. A common practice of anorexic patients is to purge their food when they felt that they had taken a lot of it (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). The disorder is deadly and can kill almost 15 percent of its victims (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). If anorexia nervosa is self-starvation, bulimia nervosa is binging or eating excessively then purging it through various methods. Now, we focus on binge eating disorder. If the two other eating disorder’s goal is to keep their body thin and slim. Binge eating disorder is making the body fatter and overweight. The common practice of people with binge eating disorder is eating excessively when they feel anxious about something. They will eat out and eat as much food as they can even if they are not hungry. It sort of becoming their initial reaction to a stressor and becomes a habit (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). The big difference in binge eating disorder than bulimia is that binge eating disorder victims don’t purge (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). They don’t engage in behaviors that will cause them to vomit. Binge sessions of victims are usually habitual and episodic. This means they engage in binging in a particular time. Studies have shown that people who are obese and over weight are common people with binge eating disorder (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006).. A study showed that 30 percent of people who undergo weight loss programs are actually having binge eating disorder. The peculiarity of this disorder is that even though this disorder is making the people unhealthy and obese, psychologist and health professionals think that having a binge eating disorder is better than having anorexia or bulimia. Usually African Americans are more affected by this disorder than European Americans (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). Similar to anorexia and bulimia, binge eating disorder is more common to females (Bierma, 1999). The disorder is associated with many disorders namely depression and anxiety (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). People who have binge eating disorder have low self-esteem and want to eliminate their binging. They feel sickened by the thought of being fat and usually tries to undergo weight-loss programs and frequent tries in dieting. The problem is they can’t stop binging until they sought help from the professional. Binge eating disorder as of today is still not counted as a formal eating disorder in DSM-IV by psychologists (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). This is due to the fact that psychologists think more studies should be done to support and sanction the diagnostic of this disorder. The binge eating disorder can be found on the appendix of the DSM-IV for further study (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). There are many causes why people get binge eating disorder. Many psychologists can attribute that the rise in eating disorders in our time is mainly due to our social norms (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). To further explain binge eating disorder, the factors that triggers this kind of behavior is needed to be understood. The most important fact we must know is that our society today has social pressures and norms. Many cultures put pressure to women to be slim and thin. There are cultural differences throughout the world. In places and time where wealthy people value heavier weight as more beautiful, eating disorder become less likely in the population. People in less developed countries view people with heaviness as beautiful because it shows that the person can afford to buy food and is wealthy (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). In America, the rise of fashion magazines that embraces beauty as something slim and skinny in the 90’s made many American teens more prone to become anorexic. The icons of beauty in a specific era also can predict the trends in eating behaviors in women. The cultural norms of attractiveness also affect people who can get eating disorder like binge eating (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). If a person sees that becoming fat and gaining weight can help him achieve his desired level of attractiveness, he will try to eat more in order to gain weight. Another deadly cause of binge eating disorder is that people who suffer from it view food as a way of coping to their negative emotions. In some cases, sexual abuse in the past can also trigger binge eating disorder because it raises the anxiety level of the person (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). The cognitive reasoning of an individual also affects the development of binge eating disorder. As we discussed, binge eating disorder is an impulsive behavior. The victims usally act before thinking. This kind of impulse is hard to control and is hard to regulate on its own. Biologically, people who suffer from binge eating disorder might have predisposition to depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). Depression usually triggers the binge eating session and makes victims more susceptible to binge just to feel good again. Findings also show that irregularity in the hypothalamus in the brain could be a cause of binge eating disorder and other types of eating disorder (Lyness, 2006). Hypothalamus regulates our eating habit and feeling of hunger (Lyness, 2006). This part of the brain is where our body sends a signal if a certain nutrient is insufficient or excessive. Another part of the brain which acts as relay centers of the message our body gives to the brain are neurotransmitters. Serotonin which is an important in cases of depression and anxiety plays a big role in eating disorders. Patterns of binging behaviors can stem from irregularities in serotonin (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). Lastly, obesity which is found in most binge eaters is found in the genes (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006). This means that people are sometimes predisposed to be obese thus making them eat more. Binge eating disorder has many health consequences like gallbladder disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes etc (Unknown, 2005).

Reviewing Black Boy By Richard Wright English Literature Essay

Reviewing Black Boy By Richard Wright English Literature Essay Black Boy is an autobiography written by Richard Wright, an African-American who lived in the South during the Great depression. Richard is a young black man who encounters the horrors of the dominant white South and faces a crisis in his life in which he does not connect with the world around him. Throughout the autobiography, Richard has an itching fear biting at him that propels him to overcome the boundaries set upon him and allows him to find his own identity. The fear that Richard faces relates with his physical hunger, which is a symbol for all the suffering that he endures throughout his daily life. His fear also relates with his thriving hunger for knowledge. The overwhelming feeling of fear eventually thrusts Richard to stop his idleness and to take action. Richards hunger for knowledge and for achieving a connection with the world around him, serves as his escape from his fears, allowing him to accept the physical suffering and finally giving him the courage and strength t o find his own identity. At just four years old, Richard Wright is living at his grandparents house in Mississippi. Richard decides to toy with a broom; removing the strays from it and watching them burn. Being just another curious kid, Richard wonders what it will look like if he burned the curtains in the living room. He sets the curtains on fire and although he marvels at the sight, he realizes that the fire is beyond his control and he runs out of the room. He hides under the house in hope that he would not be found and in turn not be punished for his actions. Despite his pleads to be left alone, Richards father Nathan retrieves him from under the burning house. His mother, Ella, is furious and beats him until he loses consciousness. He retreats into an extreme fever for about a week. After Richard recovers, his family moves to Memphis, Tennessee where his father finds work in a drugstore during the nighttime. One day, Richard finds a stray kitten that is so noisy it wakes Nathan who screams for Richard to kill the cat. Richard literally does that, knowing that his father did not actually mean it. Ella punishes Richard by making him dig a grave and bury the kitten. Soon after, Nathan deserts the family and leaves them without any money and in turn, without any food. This is the first case of physical hunger in Richard Wrights autobiography. For the first time in his life, Richard is scared that he wont be able to satisfy his hunger. However, the hunger that arises in Richard is not the hunger that he feels physically without food, but the hunger to adapt to his surroundings and communicate with them. Hunger stole upon me so slowly that at first I was not aware of what hunger really meant. Hunger had always been more or less at my elbow when I played, but now I began to wake up at night to find hunger standing at my bedside, staring at me gauntly. The hunger I had known before this had been no grim, hostile stranger; it had been an normal hunger that made me beg constantly for breadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦But this new hunger baffled me, scared me, made me angry and insistent (16). The hunger that hung over Richard made him begin to question. He begins to question everything. He does not understand a massive amount of things, but at a young age he already has experienced so much. Since Richard Wright is writing this auto biography from a much later time, he is reflecting back on how he felt at this particular moment. The four year old Richard is no more than a mere child, however at that age he already has a desire for a variety of things. He states that he has a strong desire for food which can be satisfied temporarily, but what is not seen is Richards desire to have the ability to interact with his surroundings. Even at this age and later on in his life, Richard is unable to interact with his family and with society because he is refusing to do what they want him to do. Richard rebels and rebelling is his way of showing that he will not submit and that his self-pride and unique identity is extremely important to him. Richard first experiences his hunger for knowledge when a schoolteacher named Ella, moves in. She rents a room at Richards grandmothers house. One day, Richard stumbles upon Ella reading a book and he persuades her to read the book to him. The book, Bluebeard and his Seven Wives, is a novel filled with violence and murder and it utterly mystifies Richard. He is in a trance as Ella reads the beautiful flowing words to him. However, Ella is interrupted by Richards grandmother before she could finish. Richards grandmother firmly believes that fictional stories are on the same level as sins and lies. She opposes since she has an extreme hatred towards fiction which she calls the devils work. When Richard protests and argues against his grandmother he is ignored and she storms off leaving Richard alone. This experience sparks persistence in Richard that remains with him throughout the rest of his life. His hunger for intellectual knowledge pushes him to break free of his grandmothers bond s and to pursue knowledge against all costs. I hungered for the sharp, frightening, breathtaking, almost painful excitement that the story had given me, and I vowed that as soon as I was old enough I would buy all the novels there were and read them to feed that thirstà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I had tasted what to me was life, and I would have more of it, somehow, someway (46-47). Richard has a first experience with reading. This experience sparks a determination in which he states he would have more of it, somehow, someway (47). Richards first experience with physical hunger gave him a reason to question. Richards first experience with intellectual hunger pushes him to take that extra step forward. In this, it is easy to conclude that even at a very early stage in Richards mental and physical development he has come to his own self-imposed conclusion that his intellectual hunger must be nursed first. Reading becomes Richards first passion and allows him to survive. It gives him the push that he needs to break free of the boundaries set on him by his family as well as those of the society of the South, in order to further establish his identity. Ella eventually moves out of the house as Richards grandmother is convinced Ella is the sole reason for Richards seemingly devil-like behavior. Richards mother also named Ella and her two sons begin to travel towards Arkansas where Richards Aunt Maggie and her husband live. However, when Hoskins, Aunt Maggies husband is murdered, they are forced to flee back to Grannys house. Soon after though, Ella begins to consider Grannys religious routines as a nuisance and she, her boys, and Aunt Maggie move out once again. In the meantime, Maggie begins to date a man named Professor Matthews, who they find out, is hiding from the police. After Professor Matthews commits a crime involving the death of a woman, he and Aunt Maggie go north to escape trouble. Richards family begins once again to have a lack of money due to the absence of Aunt Maggies income. Richard eventually becomes so hungry he tries to sell his poodle for a dollar. A white woman offers Richard ninety-seven cents but he refuses and a week later the poodle is struck and killed leaving Richard with nothing. Richard begins to nurture his own self-being, but only after he begins to question himself. Richard has questioned his surroundings in the past, primarily regarding his lasting hunger for food, but he has never questioned himself about anything. By taking a step forward and beginning to look inside of himself for the answers that he so truly desires, Richard is able to grow a strong personality and a strong willpower that leads him to a wider separation from the black community and a closer connection to his identity. Anything seemed possible, likely, feasible, because I wanted everything to be possibleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Because I had no power to make things happen outside of me in the objective world, I made things happen within. Because my environment was bare and bleak, I endowed it with unlimited potentialities, redeemed it for the sake of my own hungry and cloudy yearning (85). Richard understands that the oppression that is happening to him and to the black community cannot be helped. He realizes that, although he can fight, it would be pointless. Instead of physically fighting, he resorts to searching himself for the answers. He still continues to question ceaselessly, but instead of asking why something is happening or why he should not do something he begins to question how. The fear and the hunger no longer hold him back. In actuality, they now push him forward and enhance his learning process. Richard develops a keen sense of unique personality that no one else he knows seems to have. He senses that he is beginning to drift away from his family, from the community that he so desirably wanted to fit in with, and with the Jim Crow south. By acknowledging this fact and even accepting it, Richard furthermore nurtures his true identity and begins to close in on what he wants to do in his life. Richard has just begun to read and he has already read many novels by a whole slew of different people. Reading was an absolute pleasure to Richard. He would stay in his rented room at night with a can of pork and beans and read. He continued to forge more and more notes and so his trips to the library became more and more frequent. Richard gave in to the magical land of reading without a fight. He does not resist it; he simply lets it seep in. One day, Richard decides that he would try to write once again. He had done it before; he should be able to do it again. Yet, the words are held from him. The ability to write, the ability to sense that thrilling feeling once again, is kept from him. At this point, Richard reminisces back at his childhood and regrets that he did not discover his own personality earlier, his identity that distinguished himself from the black community until now. I had once tried to write, had once reveled in feeling, had let my crude imagination roam, but the impulse to dream had been slowly beaten out of me by experience. Now it surged up again and I hungered for books new ways of looking and seeingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it seemed a task impossible of achievement. I now knew what being a Negro meant. I could endure the hunger. I had learned to live with hate. But to feel that there were feelings denied me, that the very breath of life itself was beyond my reach, that more than anything else hurt, wounded me. I had a new hunger (294-296). Richard compares his hunger to write, to his physical hunger. During Richards childhood and growing up, he learned to deal with his hunger no matter how bleak it seemed. He went through days without a sufficient meal and it really hurt his physical growth. His desire for food however, was overshadowed early in his life by his hunger for knowledge. Richard has a stronger hunger for knowledge because he has an immense hunger to become unique, to extend beyond expectations and to just be himself. The hunger that he encounters physically will never equal his hunger for knowledge because he understands that it could not be helped during his childhood. He dealt with it because he knew that he had to. It happened everywhere, many black people were starving and Richard was no different in that way. Yet, in other senses Richard was different. He questioned, he asked, but he never truly pursued a life goal until now. There was a point in his life where he wrote but to his dissatisfaction the a bility to speak through words was not present in his mind. He hungers to find them once again, because by finding them, he can find himself. Towards the end of the first part of Richards autobiography, he finally realizes what he wants to do with the rest of his life and he finds out who he truly is on the inside. Through all of the physical pains that he suffered, all the horrors of the oppressing white south that he endured, and all the abuse and poverty, he was able to stand strong and slowly grow into who he was destined to become. Richard discovers his place in the world and he discovers his identity. He has an opinion and it is worth something. Richard is not just simply a black man living in a white supremacist world. He uses his voice and he uses the power of words to fight for everything that he believes in and to fight against the white south and the racism that is shown everywhere. Just like H.L. Mencken Richard plans on using words to fight. He knows that physical fighting will not get him anywhere, but maybe just maybe, the power of words would stun people just like they had stunned him in the past. He could use his life, he could use everything that he gained, and he could use his never-ending hunger to change the world for the greater good. At last, Richards life achieved a purpose. He finally has something to live for, something that he desired more than anything else and above all something that made him feel happy and at peace with the rest of the world.

An Analysis of The Little Convent Girl Essay -- Little Convent Girl Es

An Analysis of The Little Convent Girl  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Grace King's The Little Convent Girl is an excellent example of post-Civil War realism incorporating a trick-ending. In this local color short story, King methodically lures the reader into a false belief that her story is about an insignificant and nameless young girl who, after twelve years seclusion in a convent, is exposed to the fervor and excitement of a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River. The success of Ms. King's trick-ending is achieved through three basic elements; 1) de-emphasizing the importance of the main character, 2) tidbits of information followed by wordy misdirection, and 3) a false climax. Ms. King masterfully downplays the importance of the little convent girl by not giving her a name, even the steamboat captain and crew members refer to her as "the little convent girl". As a result, the reader is led to believe that the story is not really about the little convent girl. She is merely the instrument chosen by the author through which the reader will experience a steamboat adventure. King further misleads the reader by offering paragraphs of information about the complexities of navigating the river, the habits of the crew members, and the skill of the steamboat pilots. On those occasions that the reader is provided bits of information about the little convent girl, King immediately misdirects the reader back to the overt theme of a steamboat adventure. King, in introducing the little convent girl to the reader, goes to great lengths to present her as a dreary and uninteresting creature. She wore dark clothing, sat rigidly upright, secluded herself in her room, and displayed little zest for life. Therefor, when King uses the work "blac... ...it up to each reader to draw their own conclusions and search their own feelings. At the false climax, the reader was surprised to learn that the quite, well-liked, polite, little convent girl was colored. Now the reader had to evaluate how the forces within their society might have driven such an innocent to commit suicide. In analyzing this story, there are several other interesting facts that merit further exploration. For instance, throughout the story all references to the little convent girl use black or dark references. But, when plunging to her death, the author describes the little convent girl as a "flutter of white petticoats, a show of white stockings". What is the significance of the sudden color change? Also, Since the reader must assume that the little convent girl is Catholic, what can be concluded about a proper catholic committing suicide?   

Beats as a counterculture Essay -- essays research papers

The Beats As A Counterculture Many of the Beat writers wrote in a style known as spontaneous prose. Allen Ginsberg often writes in this style. He does so in the poem â€Å"Howl† in which he rants and raves about society via his friends – Jack Kerouac, Willaim S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlingetti, and Neil Cassidy to name a few, live. He discusses their poverty, civil disobedience, the ways that they fight society, and his personal fight against industrialization; he uses many images in order to allow the reader to understand his lifestyle, the lifestyle of his friends and points of view, specifically their rejection of society. Ginsberg depicts the deprived environment in which he chooses to live in through imagery. For instance the speaker proclaims: â€Å"†¦Dragging themselves through the Negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix.†(Ginsberg 62) This is a scene depicting an average morning after a night of partying. His friends are trying to make their way back to reality. They search the streets where they have been in Jazz clubs for more drugs so they do not have to â€Å"suffer[ing] Eastern sweats and Tangerian bone grindings and migraines of China under junk-withdrawal†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Ginsberg 63) Ginsberg is telling of his friend’s addiction and fear of withdrawal. The speaker states: â€Å"†¦Yakketyyakking screaming vomiting whispering facts and memories and anecdotes and eyeball kicks and shocks of hospitals and jails and wars†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ginsberg 63) In this passage the speaker of â€Å"Howl† depicts an insane asylum because his mother, himself and many of his friends; specifically Carl Solomon, who the poem is dedicated to, had been admitted or admitted themselves into hospitals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Beats were all connected to the reality of poverty. Ginsberg states: â€Å"Who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz.†(Ginsberg 62) The obvious image of poverty is when he clearly states â€Å"poverty† but along with this image Ginsberg says â€Å"cold-water flats,† meaning that there was not enough money to have hot water. Another image of poverty is â€Å"who plunged themselves under meat trucks looking for an egg.† They were so desperate for food that they jumped under trucks in search of a single egg. The Beats chose this poverty stricken lifestyle in order to further rej... ...e of a world that no one wants to come. He is using his own version of propaganda to persuade the reader not to support industrialization.. Ginsberg reinforces the second section with the first and third sections. He prepares the reader for a dramatic change from the first to the second section by showing the reader that he is anti-society. By showing that he and his friends are anti-society it is a logical step to say that he is against what society is planning and creating. They are planning and moving toward industrialization. Ginsberg is against industrialization partially for the reason that it is the societal norm to support it. Howl is a poem in which Allen Ginsberg complains about his life and about society. The speaker of the poem describes that he/she and his/her friends reject society and therefore are prone to act in a manner counter to common culture. He explains his points using amazing imagery that allows the reader to see exactly what he/she is writing about. In section two Ginsberg states his complains about industrialization, which was beginning at the time. These ideas are reinforced throughout the poem. I will forever enjoy these rantings and ravings.

Essay --

Since the end of WW2, the policies of farm and agriculture have changed dramatically. Essentially the changes that has occurred allowed bigger farming corporations to gain in power over the local farm owner and added to the struggles of the local farmers. The corporations have consolidated the food system that idealizes/glorifies junk food to the public, and the money it has garnered allows them significant lobbying power to alter the market as they seem fit. Many policies on farm and agriculture has impacted the way food is grown in America. For example hedge funds, described in page 11 of Foodopoly have essentially driven the prices of land in America and worldwide. This has resulted in farmers having to either cut down costs and make due with lesser land, or be forced out of business. Along with pollution to environment, this policy along with many others results in the situation described in page 12, with lesser farmers working to supply the nation (from 6.8 million to under 1 million). Most often, farmers sell their products are low prices to pay off land that is priced higher...

Grading System Indian education system

The Indian education system has taken a step forward towards reviving the education system with the introduction of grading system in session 2009-10. It will help in reducing the pressure on students during exams. In the last five years the meaning of education has changed for students from imbibing knowledge to merely scoring marks, resulting in myriad forms of education policies. As per reports, every day more than 17 students aged between 15-25 years commit suicide in India due to non-performance in the examination or an entrance test.Watching young children of the country succumbing to the undue pressure of scoring high marks is horrifying. One of the points to note here is the thinking of the society, which puts lot of pressure on students to ‘to perform'. This pressure from schools, parents, peer groups and society takes away the youthfulness of a child. Further, a health report also supports that this often causes health hazard such as fatigue, body aches, eye weakness, stress and in more severe cases, depression (neurotic/psychotic. Looking at today's education scenario, the Central Board of Senior Education has introduced educational counselors and child psychologists in schools to boost the confidence of young students and mentally prepare them for the board examination. This method has helped in reducing the stress and making them comfortable with the examination. Understanding the board exam system in India and its relation with students is of great importance in present times. While coping with the expectations of school, parents and society and keeping pace with their talent, students face a lot of hardships.Thus, the implementation of a grading system and abolition of board exams is really a boon for students. Adoption of grading system in India, the grading system was introduced in 2008-09 from class I-VIII, reducing the exam stress. Extending the concept to class IX and X has further reduced the pressure, giving students an opportunity t o explore other avenues. Following the US model, the implementation of the grading system is to bring in more practical education than the current theoretical method.This model prescribes a varied range of opportunities, providing children of all levels a platform to showcase their talent and pursue their interests traditionally; class XI students were given subjects as per marks scored in Class X. This system often disappointed students if they scored low. Moreover, if a student didn't get the required percentage due to poor scoring in one subject, then the entire percentage gets affected. The grading system will give students relief. It will provide ample opportunities to students to excel in their choice filed. Grading System Indian education system The Indian education system has taken a step forward towards reviving the education system with the introduction of grading system in session 2009-10. It will help in reducing the pressure on students during exams. In the last five years the meaning of education has changed for students from imbibing knowledge to merely scoring marks, resulting in myriad forms of education policies. As per reports, every day more than 17 students aged between 15-25 years commit suicide in India due to non-performance in the examination or an entrance test.Watching young children of the country succumbing to the undue pressure of scoring high marks is horrifying. One of the points to note here is the thinking of the society, which puts lot of pressure on students to ‘to perform'. This pressure from schools, parents, peer groups and society takes away the youthfulness of a child. Further, a health report also supports that this often causes health hazard such as fatigue, body aches, eye weakness, stress and in more severe cases, depression (neurotic/psychotic. Looking at today's education scenario, the Central Board of Senior Education has introduced educational counselors and child psychologists in schools to boost the confidence of young students and mentally prepare them for the board examination. This method has helped in reducing the stress and making them comfortable with the examination. Understanding the board exam system in India and its relation with students is of great importance in present times. While coping with the expectations of school, parents and society and keeping pace with their talent, students face a lot of hardships.Thus, the implementation of a grading system and abolition of board exams is really a boon for students. Adoption of grading system in India, the grading system was introduced in 2008-09 from class I-VIII, reducing the exam stress. Extending the concept to class IX and X has further reduced the pressure, giving students an opportunity t o explore other avenues. Following the US model, the implementation of the grading system is to bring in more practical education than the current theoretical method.This model prescribes a varied range of opportunities, providing children of all levels a platform to showcase their talent and pursue their interests traditionally; class XI students were given subjects as per marks scored in Class X. This system often disappointed students if they scored low. Moreover, if a student didn't get the required percentage due to poor scoring in one subject, then the entire percentage gets affected. The grading system will give students relief. It will provide ample opportunities to students to excel in their choice filed.

Evaluation of Genetic Diversity of Golden Apple Snail, Pomacea Canaliculata

ABSTRACT Genetics is a trend these days especially that, DNA barcoding has been developed. DNA barcoding is an important tool in categorizing the taxa of different species and it tells so much about the species’ traits, including genetic diversity. The Pomacea canaliculata was introduced in different parts of Asia and had been an invasive species and a pest in different ecosystems ever since the introduction. In understanding this species of snails, samples were collected, DNA’s were extracted, undergone PCR and electrophoresis, and was sequenced and analyzed.The analysis was qualitative In the Philippines while quantitative in China. In the Philippines, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) genes was used and compared among the species collected and when it was sequenced, it showed differences due to localized gap, mismatch and non-correspondence of bases. And in China, the diversity was analyzed by means of Nei’s gene diversity, Shannon’s information in dex, percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) an AMOVA anlysis. Both the quantitative and qualitative showed that there was diversification within and among the populations of these snails.INTRODUCTION Genetics is the study of the genes, and the heredity and variation of individuals. Understanding the genome, which is the complete set of chromosomes or the entire genotype of an individual, is important because it helps in the taxonomy of species, especially nowadays wherein advancements in science needs more specific information, and that basing on morphological features is not enough. Life is specified by genomes which contain all the biological information which is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and divided into units or the genes.The genes are the blueprint for life because it is the particulate determiner of hereditary traits. Hence, DNA barcoding became a trend for scientists and researchers for the understanding of the different variations in the traits of different o rganisms. The golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) originated from the South America, Central America, the West Indies and the Southern USA (Pain 1972) and was spread in the past decades to the different parts of Southeast Asia, namely Philippines, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Japan.The introduction of the P. canaliculata without prior studies caused damages to the different plants and it became an invasive species which resulted to becoming pests to humans and competitors to other local snails, example of which are those from the genus Pili. The P. canaliculata was observed to have different growth and reproduction in different parts of Asia, together with their external characteristics due to the different habitats and environmental conditions (Keawjam, 1986 and 1987), therefore there is the possibility to misidentify two sympatric species as one.On the other hand allopatric populations inhabiting different habitats may show ecomorphological variations and questionable species status and it was also suggested that the golden apple snails had high adaptability hence it was easier for them to form new populations (Dong et al. 2011). The understanding of the genomes of different species is a trend for scientists these days but the information about the different mollusks is still limited. The basic information on the number of species and/or population is of help for conservation programs (Carvalho and Hauser, 1994) and for building appropriate management schemes.In contribution, the studies aims are to evaluate the genetic diversity of the golden apple snail population in Asia, namely, Philippines and China via molecularly characterizing the P. canaliculata and to find different ways of analyzing the gathered data from the sequenced DNA of the said species. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Genetic diversity (Reed 2005) The significance of genetic diversity arose from two necessities: genetic diversity is required for populations to evo lve in response to environmental changes and heterozygosity levels are linked directly to reduce population fitness via inbreeding depression.The amount of genetic variation a population contains is predicted to correlate with current fitness and, in the case of heritabilities (which can remain high or even increase despite severe reductions in population size) with evolutionary potential. This correlation between fitness and levels of genetic variation, however, may be weak or nonexistent due to the neutrality of molecular markers used in estimating heterozygosity, nonadditive genetic variation and the purging of deleterious alleles because of increased selection against homozygotes.There is a body of literature that suggests that allozyme heterozygosity is a good measure of population fitness and adaptive potential. Others caution though that such molecular genetic data generally reflect only a small portion of genome and thus may not be indicator of adaptive genetic differences. But molecular markers may be useful for assessing the extent of genetic drift. Moreover, deleterious alleles, in mutation-selection balance, are responsible for at least half of the genetic variation in fitness.Selection has the tendency to purge the population of the deleterious recessive alleles which in theory creates inbred populations with a higher fitness than their outbreed progenitor. In other words, inbred populations with less genetic diversity would have higher fitness if the population is not kept small enough for a long enough to allow the fixation of deleterious alleles to occur. Fitness and future adaptability are reduced in smaller populations of plants and animals due to drift and inbreeding depression.Commonly used surrogates for fitness such as heritabilities, heterozygosity, and population size, significantly correlate with fitness and explain 15-20 % of the variation in fitness. Correlations suggest that many populations have reduced fitness as a result of inbre eding depression and genetic drift. There is much fuss and concern thus, over genetic variation because of the fact that endangered species typically have lower levels of heterozygosity and the loss of adaptive genetic variation and inbreeding depression puts wildlife populations at an increased risk of extinction.Finally, this increase occurs as a result of the reduction of productive fitness because of inbreeding depression or due to the failure of tracking the change in abiotic and biotic environment of the population as a result of the loss of genetic variation through drift. DNA barcoding (Moritz & Cicero 2004) At the very core, the purpose of DNA barcoding is for large scale screening of one or a few reference genes in order to assign unknown individuals to species and enhance discovery of new species.In the hope of developing a comprehensive database of sequences that will serve as a comparison tool to sequences from sampled individuals, proponents used DNA barcoding. There i s, however, nothing new with DNA barcoding as it is an offshoot of the use molecular markers for the very same purpose except, in DNA barcoding, there is an increased scale and proposed standardization. The selection of one or more reference genes characterizes standardization, with regards to microbial community and in stimulating large scale phylogenetic analyses if of proven value, though whether or not one gene fits all remain to be a question.Presently, most methods of DNA barcoding are tree-based and can fall into two broadly defined classes. One class is the distance-based, wherein it is based on the degree of DNA sequence variation within and between species. This kind of approach converts DNA sequences into genetic distances and then uses these distances to establish identification schemes. It further defines a similarity threshold below which a DNA barcode is assigned to a known or a new species. There is also the mention by several authors of a â€Å"barcoding gap† , a distance-gap between intra- and interspecific sequences, for species identification.However, the distance-based approach seems to be ill suited as a general means for species identification and the discovery of new species. One reason is that substitution rates of mitochondrion DNA vary between and within species and between different groups of species. The varied substitution rates can result in broad overlaps of intra- and interspecific distances, and hinder the accurate assignment of query sequences. Another class which is the monophyly-based requires the recovery of species as discrete clades (monophyly) on a phylogenetic tree and is used to assign unknown taxa to a known or new species.Similarly, some issues complicate the use of monophyly in a barcoding framework. For example, the long-recognized problem of incomplete lineage sorting will yield gene genealogies that may differ in topology from locus to locus. The recently divergent taxa may not be reciprocally monophyletic due to lack of time needed to coalesce. In addition, the gene trees are not necessarily congruent with species trees, and the monophyly, while a discrete criterion is arbitrary with respect to taxonomic level.Moreover, there is a recently applied new technique that has been proposed as an alternative to tree-based approaches for DNA barcoding, the so called character-based DNA barcode method, which is based on the fundamental concept that members of a given taxonomic group share attributes that are absent from comparable groups. It is the kind of method that characterizes species through a unique combination of diagnostic characters rather than genetic distances. The four standard nucleotides (A,T,C,G) if found in fixed states in one species can be used as diagnostics for identifying that species.This way, species boundaries can be defined by a diagnostic set of characters which can be increased to any level of resolution by applying multiple genes. Presently, character-based DNA b arcode method has been proved useful for species identification and discovery of several taxa. In the view that single-gene sequence should be the primary identifier of species, a contention arises that if that is the case then there’ll be a real need to connect different life history stages and increase the precision and efficiency of field studies involving diverse and difficult-to-identify taxa.Although the DNA barcoding community has put emphasis on the importance of large-scale sequence database within the existing framework and practice of systematics, it should be bore in mind that DNA barcoding is not the primary answer in resolving the tree of life. Furthermore, as much as the term â€Å"DNA barcoding† appealing, it implies, however, that each species has a fixed and invariant characteristic. But this kind of implication renders unrest to the minds of evolutionary biologists.In evaluating thus, the promise and pitfall of DNA barcoding, two areas of application should be distinguished: the molecular diagnostics of individuals relative to described taxa and DNA-led discovery of new species. And although there is little doubt that large-scale and standardized sequencing, when integrated with existing taxonomic practice, can contribute significantly to the challenges of identifying individuals and increasing the rate of discovering biological diversity as presented by this study, the general utility of DNA barcoding still requires further scrutiny.PCR (Moore 2005) In rapidly copying a selected template sequence from a DNA mixture in vitro, PCR offers a wide range of applications such as sequence detection and isolation for research, forensics and species identification through the PCR itself and in combination with other techniques. PCR's new technique uses flourescent probes to monitor the amounted product at end of every cycle and PCR machines look for the cycle at which the can readily detect flourescence.PCR is also being used to monitor RNA through the addition of reverse transcriptase enzyme at the beginning to generate DNA template. In addition, there are now new applications of PCR like single nucleotide polymorphism detection and screening. Cytochrome Oxydase subunit 1 (COI) (Buhay 2009) COI plays a significant role in documenting biodiversity and remains to be the choice for phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies. COI is a mitochondrial protein-coding gene which is a widely accepted marker for molecular identification across diverse taxa.Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have a relatively fast mutation rate, thus they result in significant differences between species. With respect to this, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene with ~700bp was proposed to be a potential barcode or marker for molecular identification across various taxa. Furthermore, COI is a protein coding gene that has an open reading frame and in thecase of barcoding, COI can be highly divergent from the actual COI sequences which may cause major problems because species identification is based on sequence similarity.Pomacea canaliculata (Cowie 2002) The Pomacea canaliculata belongs to the family Ampullariidae. Its structure appears to have a slight dimorphism in shape of aperture and operculum. Females have broader mouth and concave operculum while convex in male. In terms of reproduction, oviposition often takes place at night or at early morning or evening about 24 hrs after copulation up to two weeks after mating (occurs three times per week) which occurs anytime of the day or night although there may be some diurnal rhythm.On each oviposition occasion a single clutch is laid of highly variable egg number. Moreover, the interval among successive ovipositions for p. canaliculata has been reported to be about five days and hatching generally takes place about two weeks after oviposition. The P. canaliculata breeds only during summer and grows into maturity in less than two months. P. canaliculata is s aid to be prolific and hence has rapid succession of generations which leads to rapid population expansion.They relatively inhabit still water and in water temperatures above 32 degree Celsius, it has been observed that the mortality of p. canaliculata is high. Whereas in low temperature p. canaliculata can survive 15-20 days at 0 degree Celsius, 2 days at -3 degree Celsius but only 6 hrs at -6 degree Celsius. And it is sufficiently tolerant of sea water to survive long enough to be carried by currents from one stream mouth to another, thereby expanding its distribution. P. canaliculata shows preferences among food plants.Its rate of growth has a direct correlation with its feeding on the preferred plant. Moreover, it is able to detect its food plants from some distance using chemical cues in the water. P. canaliculata, however, appears to be relatively generalist and indiscriminate that it is viewed to be particularly voracious compared to other Ampullariids. METHODOLOGY Sampling S nail samples were identified and collected from 2 countries in Asia, specifically in the Philippines and in China, where the P. canaliculata was introduced. In the Philippines; Los Banos (Dong et al. 011, p. 1778), 2 barangays in Tarlac (Brgy. Cabayaoasan, Paniqui and Brgy. Pance, Ramos) and Iloilo (Chichoco & Patdu 2012, p13), 44 snail samples were collected. And in China, specifically from Yuyao and Taizhou in Zhejiang province, Fuzhou in Fujian province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Nanning in Guangxi province, Kunming in Yunnan province, wherein a total of 120 samples were identified with the conserved sequence by Matsukura et al. (2008) and Pan et al. (2009) and then was collected (Dong et al. 2011, p. 1778).The snails were then stored, either by wrapping in paper, freezing or preserving it in ethanol, and brought into the respective labs in each country for the next steps; DNA extraction, PCR, electrophoresis and sequencing. DNA extraction The two studies used the phenol-c hloroform method (Bergallo et al. 2006) with an alternative of the Qiagen’s Dneasy extraction kit for China. The DNA concentration was determined spectrophotometrically and adjusted by a mini-gel method (Maniatis et al. , 1982) when the extracted DNA was enough, it was stored at 4oC to -20oC until needed. PCR and ElectrophoresisThe PCR method was basically done by choosing the right primers that will yield clearly reproduced bands and they tested the proper amounts and amplification effects of the components of PCR, which were the Mg2+, dNTP’s, DNA templates and polymerase, and the primers. After the mixture of the components and the DNA extracted, it was carried out in the thermocycler programmed for pre-denaturing at 94 °C for 3 min, followed by 26 cycles of 94 °C for 10-30s, 36-52 °C for 30-45s, extension of 65-72 °C for 60-90s, and the final extension for 5-7mins at 72 °C for final extension with 38-48 cycles.After which, the amplified products together w ith negative controls were run in electrophoresis to be separated and tested for contaminations, respectively. The products were then purified later on with the respective kits present in each lab. In the Philippines, the reaction was done with 2? L MgCl2, 5? L PCR buffer, 1? L dNTP, 2. 5 ? L of the primers, which were the LCO1490 and HCO2198, distilled H2O with 22. 75 ? L, 0. 25 Taq, and 10 ? L Q-buffer. The electrophoresis was done after the ethidium bromide staining (Maniatis et al. , 1982), analyzed through 1. % agarose gels and visualized under a transilluminator. In China, they made use of the ISSR-PCR analysis where they got four primers, which produced clearly reproduced bands, out of the 90 that was screened from the University of British Columbia’s primer set and the reactions were done with a volume of 20 ? l, containing 0. 2 mM of each dNTP, 1. 5 mM MgCl2, 0. 5 ? M primers, 1 U Taq polymerase and 10 ng DNA template, and also with the determination of the optimal r eaction system of ISSR for P. canaliculata (Dong et al. 2011, p. 1779).The products’ sizes after the amplification was estimated using DNA marker DL2000 and then was run in electrophoresis, which was done on 6% polyacrylamide gels, visualized by silver staining and then photographed (Li et al. , 2009). Sequencing/ Data analysis Chichioco and Patdu (2012) sent the DNA samples to the First Base Laboratory in Singapore for sequencing and the results were sent back to the DNA barcoding Laboratory after a week. The COI sequences were aligned in the BLAST, specifically the STADEN package version 1. 5. 3 and Bioedit Sequence Alignment Editor version 7. 0. 9. 0.Aside from the sequences sampled, other sequences and their haplotypes from the GenBank were also compared and matched. In Dong’s (2011) research, he made use of the RAPD fragments by labeling them into binary matrices, used them to get the similarity index, Sxy = 2nxy / nx+ ny, where nx and ny represent the number of R APD bands in individuals x and y, and nxy represents the number of shared bands between individuals, as stated by Nei and Li (1979), then averaging it across all the possible comparisons between individuals within a geographic sample to get the within samples similarity (Si).Between sample similarity corrected by within sample similarity Si and Sj of geographic samples i and j, respectively) is also calculated between pairs of individuals across samples i and j using the equation; S’ij = 1 + Sij – (Si and Sj)/2. Genetic distance between paired samples was then calculated as D’ij = 1- S’ij (Lynch, 1990). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In the Philippines (Chichioco & Patdu 2012, p. 18-31) The collected samples from Brgy. Cabayaoasan were found in the elevated parts of a rice paddy, specifically, it was a muddy substrate with decaying leaves from the rice plants and surrounding trees while those that was found in Brgy.Pance was in the muddy bottom of the shallow fis h pond in the roots of water lilies and grasses. The samples from the two barangays in Tarlac and Iloilo had relatively different colors and sizes. Those that were collected from Brgy. Cabayaoasan had the largest size and they are colored black while those in Brgy. Pance had brown in color and still, those in Iloilo had very small sized specimens and some of the specimens can be mistaken as Pila conica snails if not examined properly. Primers affect the amplification success greatly, since according to Hajibabaei (2005) a 95% success is necessary for barcoding.The primers LCO1490 (SENSE) and HCO2198 are generally used for the amplification of forward and reverse fragments from COI genes. The DNA samples were subjected to the PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE), and they produced single discrete bands that suggest that the fragments were homogenous and start and end at the same point (Reece 2004). The bands that were brighter and distinct are more appropriate for sequencing bec ause it means that the DNA fragments were well amplified. The best DNA’s were chosen and forwarded to the First Base Laboratory in Singapore for sequencing.At the return of the results, other sequenced DNA barcodes were also collected and was aligned and compared with the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) database. Fig 1. Alignment of the COI gene sequences of the Pomacea canaliculata (CPT1-5 from Brgy. Cabayaoasan, PRT 7,9,10 from Brgy. Pance, IICK & IIPC1,3 from Iloilo) from the Philippines using Bioedit Sequence Alignment and ClustalW multiple Alignment (Chichioco & Patdu 2012, p. 26) By aligning the sequenced data, it can be seen that there are both similarities and differences among the genetic make-up of the samples.The differences are due to localized gap, mismatch and non-correspondence of bases along the COI fragments as pointed out in fig. 2 Fig 2. Comparisons of the COI sequences of the P. canaliculata samples from 35bp- 120bp (Chichioco & Patdu 2012, p. 28 ) As emphasized in fig. 2, on the 55bp-58bp, a sequence from CPT1 was observed having (5’-AATT-3’) while all the others have (5’-GGTA-3’). Even though this is a noticeable difference and could have been caused by mutation or variation, the difference is still low enough and less that 1% difference to be considered significant.But on the other hand, the PCa1 sample had 36 different base pairs compared with the others, which was 5. 5% difference and is high enough and can be considered significant since it is ;4% divergent(Meyer and Paulay 2005). Then with a ~98% confidence, it could be said that PCa1 is from an independent evolutionary lineage and might indicate a divergence within or outside its population or might have occurred due to relationships and interactions among the other species.The introduction of the P. canaliculata to different places may have an effect on its intra- and interpopulation and might be why it has various genetic sequences altho ugh it goes against the theory that introduced species becomes a founding population in a new habitat thus they have a limited gene pool and as a consequence genetic drift, which removes variability since it affects all genes, and bottleneck might occur, which reduces the new species to have a reduced genetic diversity.To observe the genetic variability, the sequences collected were compared with those from GenBank with the use of the BLAST software. As a result from 81 COI barcodes and 55 haplotypes, the samples collected showed 99% and 100% similarities with the different haplotypes thus it showed that the species has a high diversity within the populations. The phylogeography within and among the species does not apply on the P. analiculata since intra- and interpopulation diversity was observed which was shown by the multiple introduction throughout the Philippines, hence the different times of the introduction contributed more to its diversity and it coincides with the migrant pool model that says that the introduced population acquires more genetic variability because of the multiple sources of genetically divergent populations as compared to that of the local species (Slatkin 1997, Sakal et al 2001). In China (Dong et al 2010) The chosen primers an average of 124. bands, since they generated a total of 498 bands, which ranged from 150-2500bp and qualifies them for barcoding, as seen in table 1. Among the 140 individuals, 435 bands were polymorphic which was different for each primer. In table 2, Nei’s gene diversity (H) varied between 0. 2612 and 0. 3340, with an average of 0. 3044, and arranged in a descending order the populations, LB ; KM ; NN ; FZ ; TZ ; GZ ; YY while the Shannon’s information index (I) ranged from 0. 3910 to 0. 4856, with an average of 0. 4499.At the species level, the values of Nei’s and Shannon’s showed the same trend as that of PPB. AMOVA analysis showed that there are highly significant (P ; 0. 001) genetic differences among the seven populations of P. canaliculata. The genetic diversity was mostly due to the differences within the population (92. 76%) while the rest was due to among populations. The analysis tells the same as that of the Nei’s and Shannon’s information, which says that there was a relatively high level of genetic differentiation among populations. CONCLUSIONGenetics of different species are studied by means of DNA barcoding, mostly of the COI gene in the mitochondria, to know the taxon of a species and to understand their trends and characteristics not only morphologically but also genetically. The diversity of a species can also be tested by means of DNA barcoding as seen in the study of the Pomacea canaliculata. The P. canaliculata was introduced in Asia for agricultural purposes and was seen for its benefits but not its drawbacks, which later on resulted to it being invasive and a pest for both humans and other species.To understand the P. can aliculata further, its diversity was studied by means of DNA barcoding and was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively in the Philippines and China, respectively. Both the analysis showed the same outcome, wherein the results showed high levels of genetic diversity among populations. 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