Character Analysis of Aibileen Clark from the Help Essay

Discrimination is a disease. â€Å"Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them† (Martian Luther King Jr.). The Help is a novel based on how a dozen coloured people express their thoughts on how it really feels to work as a black maid in the white homes of Jackson. The main theme of The Help is race. The coloured people are thought to be dirty, and filled with diseases. Aibileen is strong, brave and is known for her prayer powers. Despite all of that Aibileen is a character that is full of love for young children. Aibileen is thought to have some sort of connection with god that all the other black people of the community lacked. Aibileen is known for her prayers; furthermore anyone who gets on her prayer list is exceedingly lucky. It is as if Aibileen is sitting right in the ears of god and all the other people are in a waiting list for their prayers to be answered. Aibileen was asked by various people if she can pray for them since ‘Rumour is you got some kind a power prayer, gets better results than just the variety’ (Page 27). A time where Aibileen’s prayer was accepted was Eudora Green’s incident. â€Å"Eudora Green, when she broke her hip, went on your list, up walking in a week†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 27). Or even when Minny pointed out Lolly Jackson’s incident. †Lolly Jackson—heck, Lolly go on your list and two days later she pop up from her wheelchair like she touched Jesus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 28). It is as if Aibileen does black magic to so me extent. It is impossible to deny that Aibileen is extremely strong and brave. Aibileen had the nerve to step up and be a role model for all the other maids by spilling out everything on how it feels to be a coloured person working for a white person. Notwithstanding what would happen to her if she were to get caught. After all the years of being treated unequally Aibileen finally changed. Aibileen says â€Å"A bitter seed was planted inside a me. And I just didn’t feel so accepting anymore† (Page 183). Aibileen took the risk of her house being burned down, losing her job and never getting a job ever gain and even  getting shot in front of her house. Aibileen is also strong and brave considering the fact that when her son Treelore died in an accident at work. Aibileen said â€Å"It took three months for I even look out the window, see if the worlds there†¦.Five months after the funeral, I lifted myself up out a bed† (Page 3). This is when Aibileen faced the real li fe and didn’t take every word that was said about her and her friends. Due to the fact that Treelore was also writing a book on how it feels to be a coloured man living and working in Mississippi. Aibileen took his steps and accepted to write the book. In the end what really mattered was that Aibileen and her community were proud of what she has done. More than anything else Aibileen possesses a heart filled with love for young children. Aibileen has a ponderous amount of love for her son Treelore and she has special love for Mae Mobley, daughter of Ms. Leefot. Aibileen has an extremely wonderful relationship with Mae Mobley to the extent that she named Mae Mobley her â€Å"special baby†. Aibileen teaches Mae Mobley many things, but one thing she really stresses is racial equality and civil rights. Aibileen tells baby that they have same features. They both have a nose, mouth, eyes, face, hands and everything else. But, the only difference is that Mae Mobley is white and Aibileen is black. Aibileen tells Mae Mobley many things about racial equality in order for her to have some different ways of thinking about race when she is being told different stuff at school. Aibileen also does not want Mae Mobley to become like her mother by making a separate washroom for her later maid, thinking that coloured people are dirty and carry many diseases. Mae Mobley takes Aibileen as her mother because since day one Aibileen took care of her and also due to the fact that her mother ignores her in many occasions and treats her in an extremely way by beating her for going to the coloured washroom. Aibileen even told Mae Mobley a secret story on discrimination every week. Aibileen was shocked one day by the way Mae Mobley was acting when she came back from school. Aibileen asked â€Å"What is wrong, baby? What happen?’ Mae Mobley cried I colored myself black’. Miss Taylor said to draw what we like about ourselves best.’ She said black means I got a dirty, bad face.†(Page 480,481). Aibileen felt a hard fist in her chest thinking that everything that she taught baby girl was about to go to waste on the account of her teacher. In conclusion, Aibileen Clark portrays the life of a maid living in Jackson, Mississippi.  Aibileen had a washroom built for her because she was thought to have many diseases. All the qualities that Aibileen possessed show what type of character she is. Simply, Aibileen is an extremely loving, devoted and strong character. Aibileen went through many struggles in her life. But at the end all that really mattered was that she was proud of herself. Despite being fired and her dearest person to her (Mae Mobley) was taken away from her. Bibliography Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 2009

Advantages and disadvantages of using internet anonymously Essay

Internet freedom is a controversial issue nowadays, and there are some findings discovered that using internet without registered their real name will cause some critical problems as cyber bullying, stealing or intimidating since users do not need to have any responsibility about what they said. However, using internet anonymously are also some advantages which gives an essential protection to internet users. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages will be discussed. Using internet anonymously gives some advantages to some internet users. First, it can protect users’ privacy in an effective way. In this era of technology advancement, social network platform like facebook or twitter, it required users to upload their personal information and keep an eternal record. It is a dark side of the use of social network platform that those records may be used in a commercial way without users’ authorization. This action is stealing our information and invading our priva cy in a grey zone. Using internet anonymously can help protecting user’s information. According to Andrea (2013, P.32) , privacy is similar to human right, which need to be protected preferentially. Therefore, anonymously using internet is a way to protect users’ information not to be leaked. Also avoid that users’ information will not be used in a profitable way or an illegal way. Secondly, anonymously giving a comment to some critical issues or controversial topics can also protect users not to be traceable. Andrea (2013) noted that for some people who do not want to use their real name for giving some donation, not using their real identification is their privilege to do so. Some of the users tend to comment on some issues in a critical way and aggressive way, if using internet needs them to register their real name, thus, users who gave tough comments may be investigated their responsibility, and users then may not willing to tell the truth so as to protect themselves, and they may left their comments in a pretended way. This situation is related to the social justice. A finding in 2013 (Fu, Chan, & Chau, 2013) launched a real-name registration system to microbloggers in China which required them to give comments with their nick name or real name, and this poli cy cause a chilling effect on commenting on microblog, especially on political criticism and sensitive topics. Therefore using internet anonymously is an effective way  to encourage citizens to criticize on controversial topic and contribute to the society. Read more:  Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet on Students Alternatively, using internet without their real identity also has some disadvantages. Lack of responsibility is a main problem which caused by anonymity. Clapperton (2013) noted that using user’s real name to comment mean that before they write, a clear thinking is needed, and when user is going to write some contentious then he should find some supports for it. It implied that the majority of anonymous internet user might not have responsibility to bear with what they have commented, and they can issue some misleading expression without any consequence. Through the media on internet, those expression can be easily send to the others, thus the credibility will keep increasing that citizens may mistakenly believe in it. Therefore an atmosphere with lies and rumors is built in our society, which may disrupt public order. The final and the most important point is that anonymity will cause some illegal activity. Cyber bullying is one of the essential problems among teenagers in t his generation. Based on the view of lacking responsibility, Clapperton (2013) discovered that some internet users tend to use some offensive comment to criticize the others. Some of the comment recipients are being intimidating which damaged their self-esteem, and it may drive them to self-harm and suicide after being attacked in order to escape from the blame. This view shows that those users may not know what consequence and impact they made to the comment receiver, also the pressure they built on the comment receiver. In the research (Claudia, 2012), some anonymous message were posted in AgriBioTech Inc. company’s forum in 1999, which claim that the company was bankruptcy, it caused that the company’s shares plummeted, and have a severe loss. It demonstrated that the power of rumors, and this illegal action can caused a company to be beset with a crisis. Those problems are vital and should be improved in the future. In concluding this brief article, there are both advantages and disadvantages on using internet anonymously. In fact, using internet anonymously can help preventing privacy leakage and protecting users’ freedom of speech, which can maintain our social discipline. However, using internet anonymously can also weaken internet users’ responsibility, and give some offensive comments. It may possible to evolve the situation to cyber bullying, which gives the receiver a huge mentally impact. Reference list: Claudia, R. (2003). Evolving attitudes towards anonymous posting on the internet. Journal of Internet Law, 7 (1), 3. Fu, K. W., Chan, C. H. & Chau, M. (2013). Assessing censorship on microblogs in China: Discriminatory keyword analysis and the Real-Name Registration Policy.. IEEE Internet Computing., 17 (3), 42-50. Andrea, K. (2013). Web users should have the right to remain anonymous in cyberspace.. Engineering & Technology (17509637), 8 (9), 32. Clapperton, G. (2013). Web users shouldn’t have the right to remain anonymous in cyberspace.. Engineering & Technology (17509637), 8 (9), 33.

Tesco Advertisement Analysis

Advertisement analysis –Tesco’s 1097 We humans are programmed or born with the inherent desire to satiate our needs. Freud talked of this primitive libido, this innate need of humanity to want (perhaps for self-preservation ultimately. ) Freud argued about the importance of the unconscious mind in understanding conscious thought and behaviour . Advertising has tapped into this primitive human libido or want desire.Advertisers use the unconscious mind to foist implicit and explicit signs and signifiers, applying cultural connotations, employing exclusion as much as inclusion, the advertiser’s intention is to gain a proliferation of positive attention for their product. I have selected an advertisement made for Tesco’s ‘Fair-trade fortnight’, found in The Guardian’s weekend supplement. We read adverts as a whole, unconsciously absorbing all of the elements, signs, implicit and explicit, that are designed to work in unison.The mental short -hand we use for deciphering pictures and words to decode them, which is especially pertinent to advertising, immediately informs us that the advertisement is not for pleasure, but for our attention; to encourage us to choose one brand over another, and to consume. Tesco’s advert implicitly implies nature’s bounty with its visual choice of hessian and wicker staging, the use of cardboard for the pricing tickets suggestive of company ethics imbued with moral high-ground.The foreground is awash with pictorial suggestions of far-off fields and farming, with healthy, working age, seemingly relaxed workers, enjoying their tasks in the sun. The advert presents what we in the West would consider every day luxuries. The visual signifiers of consumable pleasure: bananas, coffee, chocolate, nuts; these are all food stuffs that cannot be produced in Britain. Freud’s theory of the Id would tap into our want of these luxuries. The future consumer, having seen the product, ma y acknowledge the want, and convert it into a reality, quenching (Freud’s theory of) the Ego.Utilising this want the advert infers that via fair-trade, the consumer is able to go further afield for this produce, enabling the want without moral reproach; not only can the human have what it desires, but it can achieve it without guilt, assuaging (Freud’s theory of) the Superego and its connotations of the punitive. Tesco’s advert plays on this wish-fulfilment that drives the human in its quest for quelling desire. In very large type, mimicking handwriting, he title of the advert shrieks Every little helps, playing on the loyal fan bases need to spend little, but likely, (with the fair-trade theme of the advert) to be an explicit enticement for a more affluent customer experiencing financial strain, to switch from the more high end supermarkets to a more basic and affordable one. The main body of the advert is fairly utilitarian; implicitly signifying that this is a necessity buy, an advert with a more glamorous look is often aimed at the encouragement or stimulation of consumption of a luxury purchase.A secondary heading of Fair-trade fortnight uses alliteration to make it a memorable tag-line. The advert has a (relatively small) label icon, imploring the consumer to show off their label. This provides the function of anchoring the implied ethic with imagery, suggests that whilst indulging in wish fulfilment we can improve the plight of our third world neighbours. This is secondary to the advertisers aim though, the intention is to sell.This advertisement seems aimed at a predominantly white population, it almost romanticises the areas of food production that have, until recently, been visually and consciously concealed. Tesco’s original ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ stance had affects elsewhere on food producers further down the chain, but of course these were silent until relatively recently and the public are now be ginning to recognise that a small monetary cost to buy, leads to exploitation in unseen societies elsewhere. Tesco’s has chosen a very natural packaging style for this advert, eschewing its usual cheaper less environmental counterpart.Aspiration is represented within the advert and the packaging, as the ethics of food is seen to be grounded in the middle-classes, (a non necessity, therefore first taking hold within the wealthier citizens). It’s notable that emblazoned in red, 20% off in a disproportionally large circle, the advertiser’s ace card, utilising the subliminal; humans notice red for obvious physiological reasons. Beneath it also swathed in scarlet a loyalty device, Keep earning club points, promoting a new buying habit for residual customers, and hoping to retain new and more affluent consumers.As food production awareness gathers momentum the company has to redirect its approach to continue to flourish. To replace Tesco’s old persona with a ne w more ethically aware substitute, maybe a much needed new PR strategy. Openly presenting their increasing awareness and support for fair-trade, but veiling the capitalist strategy, behind the promotion must surely be statistical evidence that fair-trade purchases in Britain are on the increase. Tesco’s may be watching these changing retail trends and thinking it is a very good time indeed to promote a more ethical persona.Tesco’s has recently been dragged through the politicisation and higher public awareness of the food industry, its origins and ethics. This heightened awareness culminated in a tactic by protestors, mocking the Tesco’s logo, reproducing it onto t-shirts, but replacing Tesco with Fiasco. In the public domain there exists such proselysatizations as a Face Book group, actively encouraging the public to boycott Tesco’s stores. Gillian Rose says that ‘the rendering [of an image] is never innocent. She discusses whether the meanings of an image may be presented ‘explicitly or implicitly, consciously or consciously’ . Our reaction to an image is likely to be informed by the cultural implications associated with that image, and the connotation it conjures within our understanding. In Fyfe and Law’s work they state that we must enquire into a visualisation’s provenance, and note its principles of inclusion and exclusion in order understand it. Therefore I end my piece about Tesco’s campaign with this fact from Tesco’s PLC (website).In the five year summary report the graph clearly shows that each employee generates ? 14,303 million pounds, (2010). This fact is not advertised by Tesco’s, and is as inexplicit as possible. It would be a fair appraisal to state, should Tesco’s customers be consciously aware of the profit margins they may be less comfortable shopping there. Bibliography Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams Gillian Rose, Visual Methodologies Jon athan Bignell, Media semiotics http://www. tescoplc. com/plc/ir/, accessed 20-03-11 8 June 2010 20. 13 BST, accessed 10-03-11 , accessed 16-03-11

Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries Article

Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries - Article Example This topic bears importance in that if wielded appropriately it may just be the ticket out of poverty lines for developing nations. Growth of the economy by seven or eight percent is achievable but only if there is investment of around 35 to 40 percent of the GDP. National savings undoubtedly fall short of this by a huge margin. Therefore, it is up to foreign borrowing and investments to meet this gap. Thus, it is imperative for the governments of developing nations to providing incentives to investors. This paper will focus on the foreign direct investments in developing countries and the impact it causes to both participating parties (Moran 75). The political and social changes of late 20th century and the recent technological advancements have brought about immense changes in the economic situation of the present world. The planned economies are failing and their retreat from the global economy. The development and the rising influence of free and open market economies and the ever stronger tendency towards a world economy. Predicts broad changes in various interacting phases (e.g. economical, political and social) of the global community in the future. The old restrictions and monopoly of the old world transformed into friendly smiles and gentle politics with policies of closed economies being dumped and nations embracing the open capitalist economies. This phenomenon has puzzled many. Everyone however seems to agree on a single point. There would be no foreign direct investment if the markets were perfectly competitive. Therefore, markets are to work efficiently and ensuring there is no barriers in the form of trade or c ompetition; then the phenomenon of FDI is much more likely. Many theories have tried explaining this phenomenon. These theories attempt to explain this phenomenon based on different assertions such as perfect and imperfect competition of markets. The currency based methods as well as those that

Climate change is man-made and governments should take measures to Essay

Climate change is man-made and governments should take measures to control it. To what extent do you agree with this claim - Essay Example Other interest groups, including environmentalists insist that climate change is purely attributed to the activities of man. This paper shall discuss the thesis that: climate change is man-made and governments should take measures to control it. The extent to which I agree with this claim will be assessed in this paper. Majority of the factors which contribute to climate change is man-made, and other factors are natural. Taken together, the impact of climate change is very much significant. Admittedly, the earth is warming, with most of the excess heat impacting our oceans. Our oceans serve as repository for our excess heat (Hansen, et.al., 2005). The oceans however generally have a significant capacity for absorbing heat and as such, the oceans are considered thermodynamically stable, not easily impacted by other elements. In order to effect change, any activity would have to include long-term and continuous phenomenon (Hansen, et.al., 2005). The warming of the earth is therefore being experienced over a prolonged and sustained period of time. Data supports the fact that the oceans are warming up and have gradually been warming up since the 1950s. Global warming is not caused by the increase in the internal geothermal natural heating or the heat from human activity (Willis, et.al., 2008). It is also not caused by external sources. The internal and external sources of heating have been discounted. A firm conclusion which can be drawn is that the increase in global temperature is caused by stored heat in the environment over a period of years. Any increase in the heat input would cause a rise in heat sent off into space. Such heat is not considered in measuring the increase in ocean temperature (Willis, et.al., 2008). In effect, the added source of heat needed to lead to global warming has to be higher that is considered and no source of additional

AFA in news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AFA in news - Essay Example The other Wes however is not so lucky and surrounded himself with addicts, sunk deeper and deeper into drug trade, fathered many children and finally ends up behind bars. The story somehow connects to slavery since we are told of poor black neighborhoods which could have resulted due to the enslavement of the ancestors of the black community. Thus Blacks’ economic standards are usually lower than those of other races because they lack a firm and solid economic foundation, due to prolonged slavery of their forefathers. As I read the story, I could not help imagining how a person’s determination can elevate one beyond his/her current circumstances and improve one’s chance at living a better and morally upright life. The main problem portrayed in the story is that of drugs, crime and negative influences in one’s life. Thus the problem of crime and drugs is well highlighted and can be attributed to the kind that the other Wes Moore lived. A possible solution to this is educating such neighborhoods on the dangers of drug and crime involvement as well as making sure that youths have got enough role models and institutions to kee p them off the

Expert Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Expert Systems - Essay Example As its name indicates, expert systems are used to perform specific tasks which involve the knowledge and skills of experts. At the present, expert systems have become very important for the majority of business organizations. In fact, they are currently being used in every walk of business organization. Expert systems are used to perform different operations in different organizations. This paper presents a detailed analysis of expert systems. This paper discusses the advantages, disadvantages and evolution of expert systems. This paper also discusses the examples of earlier and latest expert systems. Definition and Description of an Expert system Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for more than fifty years, it has been just recently that a lot of organizations all over the world are beginning to utilize AI based tools and applications to help them become more competitive in the ever-increasing competitive world. In the past few years, AI has been rapidly turning i nto an imperative technology and there is at this time an explosion of interest centering on this field. In fact, both industries and educational institutes are assigning more resources than ever before to AI. Basically, the artificial intelligence is a wide-ranging trend and it consists of a lot of sub domains such as game-playing systems, vision systems, computer-aided instruction, natural language translation, voice synthesis and recognition, robotics, and expert systems. Expert systems are possibly the fastest progressing sub domain of AI (Schon & Helferich, 1989). Expert systems are acknowledged as a significant subject of artificial intelligence. Basically, an expert system offers a method to collect and transform the knowledge of experts. The expert system consists of computer programs that try to be like the way people think. The history of expert systems can be traced back to over twenty years ago in the labs of Stanford University where it was first used to help make a dia gnosis of infectious blood diseases. In fact, since that time expert systems have been using into almost every walk of life that involves human knowledge and judgment. In addition, the expert systems are normally based on three most important elements: the clarification generator and user interface, the inference engine, and the knowledge base. Additionally, in the beginning while using expert systems at Stanford, the knowledge base encompassed medical "rules" to demonstrate IF-THEN conditions and statements with a related confidence factor. The example of this rule can be like this, IF the patient is diagnosed with symptom A AND symptom B THEN the result/disease is X, and confidence is Y%. If the patient is diagnosed with symptom C, then this rule would not even be applicable. Moreover, the decision regarding the selection of the rules is made automatically by the inference engine (MoreBusiness, 1998). In simple words, â€Å"an expert system is an information system that collects and stores the expertise of human experts and then reproduces

General motors transnational strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

General motors transnational strategy - Essay Example General motors’ is a multinational organization with and have factories manufacturing vehicles and vehicle accessories in at least 37 countries and has 10 established brands (Pelfrey 2006: 129). The company was the leading automotive seller for 77 years which is the longest time that any automotive company has dominated the automotive industry (Holstein 2010). However, the company was seriously affected by the 2008 economic crisis which led to it closing three of her brands. Since 2008, the company has been observed to continue declining in terms of revenue earned.The data needed for this research will be collected by analyzing different papers that have been written regarding the strategies written by general motors and also scrutinizing its financial performance from the company annual reports. There are many studies that have been conducted to analyze GM performance.Expected resultsThis has resulted in creation of competition among different brands thus the company ends up sabotaging its own products (Husted & Allen 2011: 49). The structure is also vertically organized which inhibits communication between the top managers and the employees. This has resulted in a lot of labor union problem which has affected the company productivity (Crumm 2010: 267). GM has also failed to cater for the needs of the customer by developing alternative fuel vehicles in this age of energy crisis. Nevertheless, the company has been successful in entering emerging markets such as China and this has improved its global presence.

ERITREAN REFUGEES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ERITREAN REFUGEES - Essay Example The vested interest of the world powers were in supporting the actions of Ethiopia therefore the voice of Eritrea received no attention. The war of liberation against Ethiopia started which lasted for 30 years. Former USSR also involved in the war when Ethiopian regime was changed in 1974. The situation further deteriorated in 1984 due to famine. In 1991 Eritrean People's Liberation Front defeated Ethiopian army and formed government. During war of liberation the first wave of refugees fled to Sudan in 1950’s when USA assisted Ethiopia. The second wave again fled to Sudan in 1974 when former USSR started its assistance to the changed regime in Ethiopia. The last major movement was in 1984 when famine forced Eritrean population to leave their homeland. The flow of refugee is still on due to the oppressive policies of current Eritrean government. The majority of such refugees take shelter in neighboring Ethiopia. Eritrean refugees have taken shelter in different countries. Major ity of them are in Sudan but they are also taking shelter in Libya, Egypt and Ethiopia. Along with them there are IDPs also within border of Eritrea. The condition of all these refugees and IDPs is a big challenge for humanity.

Recruitment and selection report assignment Essay

Recruitment and selection report assignment - Essay Example The options include: obtaining sufficient funds and paying adequate wages; creating a network of skilled doctors who would be sent on rotation to remote areas; creating a robust IT infrastructure with video conferencing that would help experienced doctors in urban areas to diagnose patients in remote areas and guide fresh recruits to provide better treatment. It is expected that if the recommendations are adopted, then there would be more experienced consultation available for patients in remote areas. Doctors and trained physicians are the life support entities of any healthcare system and this is more so in remote and rural areas that have few hospitals and health care units. Gorman (2009) reports that many regions of Queensland and New Zealand have 70% of required doctors. The author has reported that these regions also have a high level of dependency on foreign born doctors and about 42% of the doctors in these regions are of foreign origin. While this factor should not be an issue since foreign born doctors are also competent, the disturbing fact is that it is difficult to attract and retain doctors in the rural areas of Queensland. Fowler (1997) comments that while fresh doctors and interns do join rural practice, it is meant to fulfill certain requirements to obtain a medical degree. The author has estimated that since 2005, about 182 to 681 doctors per annum have left the rural practice and migrated to bigger cities with better career prospects. Better career prospects in cities, changing priorities, poor rural living conditions and lack of skill development can frustrate even the most ardent and medical practitioner who would then quit the rural posting. This behavior and trend among doctors has become very severe and lives of children, pregnant women, aboriginal people and the elderly are at stake. This paper examines the

The Atomists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Atomists - Essay Example Pure atomism is known as mechanism, dating back to Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Heraclitus, promoting the idea that the universe has been derived from one primitive, homogenous substance. Atomism gives rise to materialistic reductionism, which explains how larger phenomena can be divided into smaller ones, in charge of many events happening in the universe. (3) Another significant phenomenon is determinism, which explains that every event that occurs in the universe is a result of a previous serious of events. However, atomist determinism has many explanatory weaknesses, like the order of the cosmos is not being controlled by an external force, but controls itself. Hence, natural laws have been outlawed. Determinism is against free will because it bounds the occurring of an event to a prior series of events, and thus, lacks originality. The elimination of an extra outside force controlling the events of the universe, and an inability to define any alternative form of controll ing force, led Aristotle to reject

Sodium thiosulphate and Acid Essay Example for Free

Sodium thiosulphate and Acid Essay For our investigation we will be looking at how the temperature affects the rate of reaction between sodium thiosulphate and an acid. To make sure the experiment is a fair test we must first see which other factors may effect the investigation and how we can control them. The temperature, concentration of the two solutions, the light intensity, the depth of the solution and the person judging whether they can still see the cross are all factors which may affect the rate of the reaction. Description of reaction: When sodium thiusulphate are added together they react as shown below: HCL + sodium thiosulphate sodium chloride + sulphur dioxide + sulphur + water. HCL(aq) + Na2S2O3(aq) NaCl(aq) + SO2(g) + S(s) + H2O(l) The sulphur produced is held in suspension turning what was a colourless solution into a clouded one. This is what causes the cross to disappear. When we are measuring the time for the cross to disappear we are also measuring the time for a set amount of sulphur to be produced. The rate: The rate of reaction is the speed at which the reaction takes place. Speed are measured as distance over time such as metres a second (m/s) and miles per hour (mph). A speed could also be the speed at which someone works out at, say a factory worker makes 5 footballs per hour so there work speed would be number of footballs over hours so in this case 5 footballs/hour. The speed (rate) at which a reaction happens at is written in the same way but in stead of a distance over time or footballs over time it is the point of the reaction you are measuring upto over time. The point you measure upto in this experiment isTheoretical background and prediction: Since starting chemistry in year 7 we have performed and been shown experiment and demonstrations which involve reactions. The speed and how vigorously these reactions take place have been shown to vary greatly. The reaction between a strong acid and a strong alkali can happen in a few seconds and they react together extremely vigorously while the rusting (oxidising) of a metal statue can take years. Reactions occur as described in the collision theory when two molecules collide (intermolecular collision); this is shown in the diagram below: In our experiment we will be measuring the rate of the reaction by measuring the time taken for the reaction between the hydrochloric acid and the sodium thiosulphate to reach a set point (when we could no longer see the cross). The time taken to reach this point could be changed by increasing or decreasing the number of reactions, which took place every second. This could be done in two ways: a) Increasing the number of molecules of the two reactants (increasing concentration) in a given volume of the solution b) Increasing the speed of the molecules by increasing the temperature of the reactant. Both of these increase the chance of collisions occurring. Kinetic theory tells us that the higher the temperature then the more energy the molecules have and the faster they move around. A basic rule followed by most chemists is that for every 10 Kelvins the temperature is raised through the rate of reaction is doubled therefore for each 1 Kelvin raised the rate of reaction increases by about 10 percent. However experiments using the kinetic theory show however that the increase in total number of intermolecular collisions is only about 2 per cent for each 1 Kelvin rise in temperature. Only a certain proportion of collisions actually produce a reaction. This proportion rises more rapidly with increase in temperature than the total number of collisions. It was first suggested in 1889 by a man named Arrhenius that a molecule would only react on collision if it had higher than the average energy i. e. a necessary amount of energy is required for the reaction to occur. If they do not have this minimum amount of energy they will just bounce off each other and no reaction will occur. The minimum amount of energy required for the reaction to take place is called the activation energy (Eact). Light intensity will affect how long it takes before the person judging cannot see the cross anymore. As if there is a higher light intensity it will be a lot easier to see the cross. Also the person who is judging whether or not they can see the cross makes a difference as we all have different eyesights and judgement. If two different beakers are used and both filled with the same volume of water then if one has a small surface area then there will be a greater depth of solution. The greater the depth then the quicker the time taken before the cross can no longer be seen as the light would have to pass through a greater amount of sulphur. I predict that the higher the temperature is the quicker the time will be for the reaction to take place and that the higher the temperature the higher the rate of reaction. I predict this because as I have stated above that the more energy the molecules are given by heating them the faster they move thus more collisions occur with a greater force. This results in more reactions taking place in a shorter space of time. If more reactions are taking place in a shorter space of time as the temperature increases then more sulphur will be produced per second as you raise the Temperature. This means that the more you raise the temperature the quicker the amount of sulphur required for the person judging the experiment to be unable to see the cross. When two liquids of different temperatures are mixed together the solution produced will have a new resultant temperature. The formula used to tell us what this resultant temperature will be is: V1T 1 + V2T2 V1 + V2 T3 =Resultant Temperature This formula can be rearranged so that the temperature the sodium thiosulphate needs to be heated to can be worked out so that the desired resultant temperature is achieved when the HCL is added which is at room temperature. The formula is rearranged to: T3 (V1 + V2) V2T2 V1 Throughout the experiment T1 and T3 are the only parts of the experiment, which will be changed, all the others will remain constant. V1 and T 1 are the volume and temperature of the water and sodium thiosulphate solution, the volume will be 50 ml for the whole experiment and the temperature will vary. V2 and T2 are the volume and temperature of the HCL acid, the volume will be 5 ml throughout and the temperature will be room temperature (around 20 degrees Celsius). T3 is the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate and water solution after the HCL has been added and is the temperature, at which the reaction takes place, the temperature will either be 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 degrees Celsius. T3 ( C) T1 ( C) 20 20 30 31 40 42 50 53 60 64 70 75 The table above shows the temperatures the sodium thiosulphate and water solution will need to be at for the desired resultant temperature to be achieved when the HCL is added. Trial experiments: Before we could start the experiment we needed to run some trial experiments to see if our method was correct and to decide what concentration to use. Previously we had performed a similar experiment to see how concentration affected the rate of reaction. This gave us a starting concentration of around 40 ml of distilled water to 10 ml of Sodium thiosulphate. This concentration proved to be slightly to fast when doing it at 70 degrees celcius. So we tried using 42 ml of distilled water to 8 ml of sodium Thiosulphate. This concentration was fine. Water (ml) Thiosulphate (ml) Concentration (g/dm) Time at 20 C (s) Time at 70 C (s) 40 10 8 42 8 6. 4 We will use 42 ml of water and 8ml of Sodium thiosulphate which gives us a concentration of 6.4 g/dm for our experiment as if we use a concentration which is any higher it will react to quickly for us to record accurately when the experiment is done at 70 degrees celcius. If the concentration was any lower then it takes too long when the temperature is at 20 degrees Celsius. Aparatatus: Apparatus: 2 x 150ml Beakers. 1 x 100ml measuring cylinder, 1 x 25ml measuring cylinder, 1x 10 ml measuring cylinder.   1 x stopwatch   1 x alcohol thermometer (1 degree Celsius graduations)   1 x Bunsen Burner   5 x piece of paper with a Large cross computer printed on it   1 x Tripod  1 x Gauze   96 ml of Sodium Thiosulphate   60ml of Acid 504 ml of distilled water 1 x Petra dish Method: 1. Measure out 8ml of 40g/dm Sodium Thiosulphate into a beaker using a 10ml measuring cylinder. Measure out 5ml of Acid into a beaker using a 10ml measuring cylinder and Measure out 42ml of distilled water into a beaker using a 100ml measuring cylinder. 2. Pour the sodium disulphate into the same beaker as the distilled water. 3. Heat the solution to 30 degrees Celsius using a Bunsen burner Place a pertri dish on top of the beaker to stop the solution evaporating out of the beaker. 4. Place the beaker containing the Sodium Thiosulphate on top of the cross, which should be in a plastic Esselte. 5. Pour the acid into the beaker containing the Sodium Thiosulphate and start the stopwatch. 6. When you judge that you can no longer see the cross stop the stopwatch and record the time taken for this to happen. 7. The temperature is taken at the end of the experiment. 8. Clean out the beakers and repeat the experiment again varying the temperature to 20, 40, 50, 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. Do every experiment twice. Fair test: All variables except temperature will be kept constant so that the experiment will be a fair test. The concentration will be kept the same by using acid and Sodium Thiosulphate from the same batch each time. The sodium thiosulphate and water solution will be mixed in bulk so that the concentration will remain the same through out even if an error is made on the part of the person creating the solution. The same person will be judging when the cross cannot be seen anymore as different people have different eyesights. The light intensity will be kept constant by only using natural sunlight and keeping classroom lights off. The same cross will be used each time and will be printed by computer so if something happens to the original there is an exact duplicate of it to take its place. The same Beaker will be used every time so that the person doing the experiment will have to look through the same depth of solution each time. Each experiment will be repeated to avoid anomalous results. If the repeat experiment isnt within a reasonable range of the first experiment then it will be repeated once more. The temperature will be taken at the beginning and end of the experiment to make sure that the temperature didnt drop too significantly throughout the experiment. The stopwatch will be started as soon as the first drop of acid touches the sodium thiosulphate every experiment. Safety: Goggles will be worn at all times during the experiment, as safety is paramount. As acids are being handled there is the off chance that some could well be splashed into the experimenters eyes which is goggles are warn will reduce the risk are any making contact with the eye itself. As the acid is very weak and watered down lab coats are not compulsory but if any if spilt on ones hand or other areas of bare skin it should be washed immediately. Once we have completed our experiment we will wash our hands as we will have been handling acids which are corrosive so we will need to wash any which has managed to get onto our skin off. Treatment of results: When the results have been collected they will be put in a table of results showing both the recorded times taken for each experiment and the average of these two. Anomalous results will be highlighted in the table and will not have been taken into account when the graphs are drawn. The results will be used to produce two graphs, the first of which will have temperature plotted against time and the Second will have temperature plotted against one over time taken, which is the same as the rate of reaction. A line of best fit will be drawn for both graphs. Method: The apparatus was set-up as shown in the diagram. 8 ml of 8g/dm sodium thiosulphate was measured into a 10 ml measuring cylinder and 42 ml of distilled water was measured out into a 100 ml measuring cylinder. Both the 8 ml of sodium thiosulphate and the 42 ml of distilled water were poured into a 250 ml beaker together. A thermometer was then put in the beaker and a petri was placed over the top of the beaker to stop the solution evaporating when it was heated up. The beaker was then placed on top of a tripod and gauze and heated using a Bunsen burner. Heating was stopped just before the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius, as the temperature would keep on rising for a short time after the Bunsen burner was taken away. The Beaker was placed on top of a piece of paper with a black cross-drawn on it. When the temperature cooled down to 31 degrees Celsius the HCL was added as the fact that the HCL would lower the temperature had to be taken into account. As soon as the HCL was added the stopwatch was started. The stopwatch was stopped as soon as the person judging could no longer see the cross. The time taken was recorded and the apparatus was clean thoroughly. The same experiment was then repeated again a second time and at 40 C, 50 C, 60 C and 70 C, it was repeated for these temperatures a second time as well. The experiment was also done at room temperature so no heating was therefore involved. Results: Temperature ( C ) Time 1 (secs) Time 2 (secs) Average Time (secs) Rate (1/time) Room temperature had changed by 1 C when the experiment was repeated for room temperature so both results have been shown and will both be plotted on the graph at there respective time and temperatures. Calculating the rates: 17 C: Time taken for cross to disappear = 307 seconds Rate of  30 C: Average Time taken for cross to disappear. Anomalous results: The graphs showed that there were no anomalous results as it produced a smooth curve. As I used room temperature which subsequently went up a degree from 19 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius is was unable to repeat it at 19 degrees as I had no way of cooling the solution down. As these results were not done a second time we cannot be sure they are not anomalous but they appeared to be fine and were included in the graph. All the results were within a reasonable range of each other. The only results, which appeared dubious, were the pair for 70 degrees Celsius as there was such a big difference between the two. We would have done the experiment for a third time except we had run out of time. If we were to do the experiment again I would obtain a third set of result for every temperature to make certain none of the results were anomalous. Though on the graph it appeared that none were anomalous as the results produced such a smooth curve. Conclusion: As I predicted the graph of temperature against time showed that the higher the temperature is the lower the time taken for the cross to disappear. Unlike I predicted the time does not double with an increase of 10 degrees Celsius. My results show that as the temperature increases the percentage difference between that temperatures time and the time taken for 10 degrees Celsius less than that temperature decreases. At 20 degrees Celsius it took 238 seconds for the cross to disappear while at 30 degrees it took 123 seconds. 123 is 51. 68% of 238, which equates to a percentage decrease of 48. 32%. At 30 degrees Celsius it took 123 seconds for the cross to disappear while at 40 degrees it took 70 seconds. 70 is 56. 91% of 123, which equates to a percentage decrease of 43%. This decreasing trend continues as the temperature increases as shown in the table below. Temperature 1 ( C) Time 1 (secs) Temperature 2 ( C) Time 2 (secs) Calculation Percentage Decrease The amount the percentage decreases does not decrease evenly. As the percentage differences are so marginal they cannot be clearly seen on the graph. The graph showing time over temperature showed that the higher the temperature the quicker it took for the cross to disappear and the lower the temperature the longer it took. This was shown by the graph having a monotonically decreasing smooth curve. The graph plotting rate of reaction (1/time) against temperature showed that the lower the temperature the lower the rate and the higher the temperature the higher the rate. This was shown by a monotonically increasing smooth curve. The reason the rate of reaction is increased as the temperature increases is due to the sodium thiosulphate and HCL molecules being given more energy, which they convert into kinetic energy. This causes them to move faster which enables more collisions to take place and reactions occur when two molecules collide. Not only does the higher temperature increase the number of collisions but it also causes the collisions to happen with more energy. This increases the number of collisions, which actually produce a reaction. This is because for a collision to actually trigger a reaction it must happen with a certain amount of energy (activation energy). The higher temperature increases the average amount of energy each molecule has so more reactions will occur with enough energy. Errors: Measurement errors: The water, sodium thiosulphate and HCL were all measure out using measuring cylinders. A 100ml measuring cylinder was used for measuring out the water which could only be read to the nearest ml. It is reasonable to estimate we could read it to +/- 0. 5 ml. The HCL and Sodium thiosulphate were measured out using a 10 ml measuring cylinder which could be read to the nearest half a ml. So it is fair to say we could read it to +/- 0. 25 ml. These errors can be used to decide the percentage error in our final results. Error in reading the HCL measuring cylinder: +/- 0. 25 ml. Error in reading the Sodium thiosulpate measuring cylinder: +/- 0.25 ml Error in reading the water-measuring cylinder: +/- 0. 5 ml % error = +/- estimated error Reading So for the HCL % error = +/- 0. 25/5 x 100% = 5 % So for the Sodium thiosulphate % error = +/- 0. 25/8 x 100% = 3. 125 % So for the water % error = +/- 0. 5/42 x 100% = 1. 19 % Total percentage error = 9. 135 % The percent deciding when to stop the stopwatch may have not stopped it at the same time every experiment the 70 degrees Celsius experiment was extremely hard to judge as the experiment took place so quickly. Method errors: The temperatures did not remain constant while the reaction was taking place, as the experiment could not be heated once it had started to react. The concentration of the HCL and the Sodium thiosulphate was supposed to be 1 mole and 40 g/dm respectively but there must have been errors involved when these solutions were originally made so there will be errors in there concentrations. Improvements: If I had another chance to redo the experiment there would be several things Id change. Firstly rather than allowing a human being to judge when they cannot see a cross I would use a data-logger and light sensor. The beaker would be encapsulated in a container blocking out external light and a lamp would be placed shining up from underneath it and a light sensor would be placed above it. The light sensor and data logger would be able to record how long it took for the reaction to only allow say 20% of light through to the light sensor. I would also use a water bath to heat the solution up with to allow more even heating. As the temperature would carry on increasing after the Bunsen was taken away. I would allow more time to carry out the experiment so I could repeat each experiment around 4 times so make sure I had no anomalous results. I would also the same experiment varying the temperature with a couple of different concentrations to observe how greatly the temperature affected the rate at a higher temperature. I would try the experiment over a greater temperature. Range using intervals of five degrees Celsius rather than ten, which we were unable to do due to time. I would not use room temperature as it went up by a degree during the experiment and I had no way of cooling down the solution to allow me to do the experiment again at 19 degrees Celsius. I would investigate how exactly concentration affects the reaction. A method for an improved version is shown below: Diagram: Method: The apparatus was set-up as shown in the diagram. 8 ml of 8g/dm sodium thiosulphate was measured into a 10 ml measuring cylinder and 42 ml of distilled water was measured out into a 100 ml measuring cylinder. Both the 8 ml of sodium thiosulphate and the 42 ml of distilled water were poured into a 250 ml beaker together. A thermometer was then put in the beaker and a petri was placed over the top of the beaker to stop the solution evaporating when it was heated up. The beaker was then placed in a water bath and heated. Heating was stopped when the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius. The Beaker was placed in the sealed container and the data logger was started as soon as the HCL was added. The lid was place on top of the container as soon the HCL was added. The light sensor measured the percentage of light passing through the solution and the data logger logs how long it takes for the solution to only allow 20% of the light pass through. The time the Logger showed would be recorded. The time taken was recorded and the apparatus was clean thoroughly. The same experiment was then repeated again a second time and at 40 C, 50 C, 60 C and 70 C, it was repeated for these temperatures a second time as well. Bibliography: Diagram and information on collision theory from Chemistry explained by j. r. palmer, B. A. J Shaw pg 219 www. gcsechemistry. com/rc1. html G. I Brown Physical Cemistry Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

A Review Of The Novel Alias Grace English Literature Essay

A Review Of The Novel Alias Grace English Literature Essay Grace Marks is one of the two accused for the murders of her employer, Mr. Kinnear and his housewife, Nancy. She was sentenced to life imprisonment. Initially she claims that she does not remember what happened at the scene of the crime. Grace is introverted and carefully chooses what she says so that she does not reveal much information about herself. After Dr. Jordan comes, she opens up a little and tells him her tough childhood and what she remembers about the murders. By the end of the novel, Grace is pardoned, marries her lover, Jamie Dr. Simon Jordan is the physician that is to analyze Grace. He is interested in her circumstances and wants to use what he knows about psychology to pry as much information from her as possible so that it can be determined whether or not she really is suffering from amnesia. After entering in a relationship with Mrs. Humphrey, his landlady, and the results of Graces hypnotism, Dr. Jordan becomes disillusioned. He is unable to come to a conclusion and in the end just returns to Europe. Mary Whitney is a girl about Graces age who also worked for Mrs. Parkinson. Mary is more experienced with worldly matters and thus becomes sort of like a mentor to Grace. It is through Mary that Grace is able to find family. They are like sisters and become close to each other. She has an affair with Mr. George that ends up in a pregnancy and a failed abortion that takes away her life. Grace seems to care more for Mary than her own mother because when her mom died, she thought twice about using the sheet to cover her. On the other hand, Grace uses her money to provide the best possible funeral for her friend. Supposedly, the spirit of Mary resides in Grace and will come out during hypnotism. Nancy Montgomery is the housemaid of Mr. Thomas Kinnear. When she is first introduced, she is looking for extra help. She is not as welcoming or friendly as Graces last employer, Mrs. Parkinson. She feels as though she is superior to Grace. Nancy has an affair with Kinnear and gets jealous of Kinnear when he starts lusting for Grace. She is later found in the cellar, strangled and her throat cut. 4. Conflicts: One major conflict in the novel is determining Graces innocence and also her identity. Much of the book is concerned about Grace giving the readers background information about herself and her version of what happened during the time of the murders The conflict never gets resolved because Dr. Jordan never comes to a conclusion and just abandons his all of his findings. He does not know what to think after he witnesses the spirit of Mary Whitney possess Graces body. Atwood gives you all of many small pieces and it is up to readers to put everything together and then decide whether or not Grace is guilty or not 5. Opening chapter or scene: Alias Grace opens with a dream about Nancy, a dream that also occurs again later on in the novel. The year is 1851 and Grace is twenty-four years old. She has been in prison ever since she was sixteen. She tries to be the model prisoner even though life in the penitentiary is described as tough. She tells this dream to Dr. Jordan when they arrive at the part of the story. In the next section is a little poem that gives a quick but somewhat inaccurate summary of what has already happened before the novel started. The opening gives some background information about Graces life and also foreshadows many events. 6. Plot: Grace has been kept at the Kingston Penitentiary when Dr. Jordan comes and performs his project with Grace, the inciting incident After Graces initial reluctance to participate with Dr. Jordan ends, the rising action occurs when Grace relates her past to him. She is an immigrant from Ireland to Canada and suffers from a dysfunctional and poverty-stricken family. Life was hard for her because her father was worthless. She was able to find a job as a housekeeper. While working, she befriends Mary Whitney. She is traumatized when Mary dies because of an unsuccessful abortion and quits her job. She takes up another job with Nancy Montgomery, who works at the Kinnear estate She also meets James McDermott, another worker under Mr. Kinnear. Nancy and Mr. Kinnear seem to have a relationship together but now Kinnear is paying more attention to Grace. James thinks that Nancy and Kinnear should be killed. Grace then tells Dr. Jordan that James kills them both and then faints when James threatens her. When she awakens, James says that she must keep her part of the deal which implied that she was to go to bed with him. Grace tries to put him off and persuades him to escape to Toronto but they soon get captured. In the climax, Dr. Dupont hypnotizes Graces but instead a spirit comes out saying that she is not Grace but Mary Whitney. When the trance is broken, Grace comes back but does not remember what happened during the hypnosis. 7. Conclusion: In the novels falling action and conclusion, a disoriented and confused Dr. Jordan ceases his investigations and returns back to Europe Grace is pardoned and released from the penitentiary at the age of forty-five. She ends up marrying her childhood lover, Jaime Walsh and soon gets pregnant. The novel ends with a passage about how Grace will quilt the Tree of Paradise. She will interweave Marys petticoat, her prison nightdress, and Nancys dress altogether. The ending was only somewhat appropriate because it did not really feel as if he flowed with the rest of the story, that it did not belong there. It just seems attached on. 8. Themes: One theme of the novel is gender and feminism in the nineteenth century. Women back then were supposed to act a certain way. They were to be submissive and modest with the men dominating. Women were also thought to be more petite and moral. This may be a reason why James was executed and why Grace was only sent to prison. Another theme of the novel is that of sexuality. This theme seems to be a big driving force in the story. Mary Whitney gets involved in a sexual affair that has big repercussions. While in prison Grace must deal with the verbal abuse and sexual advances of the guards. Grace is accused of having a sexual encounter with Jamie in the orchard. Also when Mrs. Humphreys husband leaves her, she turns to a sexual relationship with Dr. Jordan for comfort. Dr. Jordan, on the other hand has fantasies of Miss Lydia and even Grace. Both Mr. Kinnear and James lust after Grace. Kinnear and Nancy have an affair too. Either way, sexuality plays an important role in the novel. 9. Symbols/Archetypes: One big symbol is that of the quilt. There is both a physical quilt, the one that Grace is working on, and a mental quilt. Each time Dr. Jordan examines Grace, it seems if as though another piece of Graces life and identity are sewed onto a quilt. All of the little intricate bits and memories are stitched together make up the whole quilt and there are also different ways to look at and interpret quilts. In addition, the title of each chapter is a name of a real quilting design. Another symbol may be that apples. They could symbolize the truth and knowledge. It could also represent the apple in the Garden of Eden. Grace could symbolize Eve, who was manipulated by something evil and then was punished for it. 10. Parallel events/parallel works: Alias Grace is similar to the story of the Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gillman. Both works of literature were about psychiatric care. Women were the protagonist in both stories. Also both women were isolated from other people, one in an asylum, another in a lonely room. The dream that Grace describes in the opening chapter makes another appearance in the middle of the novel. In it, Grace sees Nancy with blood all over her face. Alias Grace is the retelling of the real story of Grace Marks. It is a historical fiction novel though, so some aspects such as the character of Dr. Simon Jordan are made up. 11. Style: Atwood rarely uses quotations in this novel. This makes the text more confusing as to who is talking and thinking which thoughts. This does emphasize the ambiguity of Graces life and her account of the murders In addition to the lack of punctuation, Grace also uses the word could very often. This makes it seems like she is making up some of the details, that what she says is conditional The story is presented from the point of view of Graces At the beginning of each chapter, Atwood uses a real historical article and/or a quote that describes something about Grace to introduce the next section. To highlight the quilt theme, Atwood also names each chapter after a genuine quilting pattern and even provides a small picture of the design. 12. Significant lines: I would rather be a murderess than a murderer, if those are the only choices (23) showing feminist attitudes like passing through the gates of Hell and into Paradise (447) when she left the penitentiary and went off into the real world and that is the same with all quilts, you can see them two different ways, by looking at the dark pieces, or else the light (162) there are always more than one way to look at things in life and everything has a dark and light side Murderess is a strong word to have attached to you (27) she has a label attached to her and it makes her think a certain way And so we will all be together (460) the last line of the novel, Grace will all of the remnants of her past onto one quilt so that she can look at it and move on

Marketing Mix: Tactical Components To Promote Sales

Marketing Mix: Tactical Components To Promote Sales Carlsberg is also one of the largest brewers in Europe. Moreover, Carlsberg is headquartered in Valby in Copenhagen, Denmark. Carlsberg beer portfolio includes more than 500 brands and they are varies significantly in term of volume, price, target audience and geographic penetration. The companys main brand is Carlsberg Beer but it also brews Tuborg as well too. In January 2001, Carlsberg breweries decided to merge with the Norwegian brewery group Orkla ASA and later Carlsberg has become the fifth largest brewery group in the world. Currently, Povl Krogsgaar-Larsen is the Chairman of the Executive Board of Carlsberg Foundation while Jess Soderberg is the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Carlsberg Foundation. Meanwhile, Flemming Besenbacher is one of the members of the Executive Board of Carlsberg Foundation from 2005 until today. 1.1 History Background Carlsberg was constituted in 1847 by J.C. Jacobsen on a hill at Valby. In order to expand the brand name of Carlsberg, it decided to start its exportation in the year 1868. In 1870, Carlsberg had started to become a very successful brewery and the founder, J.C. Jacobsen wanted to share his business with his country. In 1875, the Carlsberg Research Centre was established to research on scientific problem related to brewing and pioneered the very latest brewing technology and techniques. There are more than 1000 scientists devoted to the art of quality beer manufacturing currently. J.C. Jacobson established the Carlsberg Foundation in 1876. In the year 1906, the Old Carlsberg and New Carlsberg have merged and changed the name to Carlsberg breweries due to the division of production was not viable in the long term. As for today, Carlsberg is the beer for modern young people who speak one language in the world with no boundaries. As for information, the Carlsberg brand also provides support to various contests in the world, such as golf tournaments in Asia and English Liverpool Football Club. Carlsberg has it owns organization target, mission and vision. The mission of Carlsberg Company is to be a dynamic provider of quality beers and its also bring its exciting brand, innovative culture and committed teams which will brings people together and add more enjoyment in life. Furthermore, their companys vision is probably the leading the beer company among the world in order to become the first choice of the consumers, customers and employees and also by fully understanding their needs and proactively driving market development. 2.0 What is Marketing Mix? Marketing mix is a combination of tactical components to promote the sales of a product or service (MarketingTeacher, 2010). The firm can control the marketing mix in order to achieve specific goals within a dynamic marketing environment. Basically, the major marketing decision can be divided into four categories which are known as product, price, promotion and place (also known as 4Ps). Product Product is a complex combination of tangible and intangible attributes that provide satisfaction and benefits to the society such as the good, service and idea (Prentice Hall, 2008). When marketing a product, entrepreneurs need to consider and decide the factors which are quality, design, features, variety, utility, branding, packaging and labeling of a particular product. Carlsberg decided to carry out line extensions to extend its brand names to new forms, colors, sizes, ingredients or flavor of its existing product categories (Prentice Hall, 2008). Carlsberg has produced various types of beers in the market throughout the globe and they also try to launch different flavors of beers as they know that individual has different taste and preference for the beer products. By doing this, Carlsberg can be able to satisfy the consumers needs and wants. These are the popular types of beers of Carlsberg: Carlsberg Elephant Carlsberg Lager Tabor Gold Special Brew Tabor Green Danish Royal Stout Ginseng Carlsberg is made from pale lager malt, bittering hops, aroma hops and Carlsberg bottom fermenting yeast. However, Carlsberg has launched different types of beer which can match with various types of dishes, such as seafood, vegetarian, cheese and others (CarlsbergGroup, 2010). Carlsbergs beer products are considered as the convenience goods in consumer product due to the beer products is considered as an inexpensive item which consumers buy frequently and do not do much comparison with other substitute beer products. So, Carlsberg company will differentiate their beer products, produce quality beers, create nice style and design, wrap with unique packaging and labels in order to distinguish itself with its competitors in the global market, such as Heineken and Tiger. Besides, the raw materials that used to produce the beers are the malted barley, hops, yeast, gluten and water. The quality level is different with its competitors in the market because the type of the raw materials that Carlsberg used is not the same. For example, the ways they planted the hops which is one of the raw ingredients are different, so it will end up with different kind of taste. There are also some safety policies in Carlsberg, each of every branch that brews Carlsberg under license, they need to send every type of beers of its sample for once a month for the tasting panel to test in order to ensure the quality of the products (CarlsbergGroup, 2010). So, Carlsberg can consistently deliver the quality that customers pay for. However, one of the Carlsbergs competitors, Heineken, the company produced Buckler which is one of their beer products that is non-alcoholic. So, Heineken can target those young adults and all the religions in the world to buy its non-alcoholic products. Carlsberg did not produce any non-alcohol drink and it might lose its sales because Heineken targets all the consumers irregardless their religion in order to boost up their sale and competed with Carlsberg. Therefore, Carlsberg should also produce non-alcohol drink in order to compete with its tough competitors, Heineken. 3.1 Packaging In the packaging aspect, Carlsberg company uses aluminium cans and glass bottle which can be recycled. The purpose of the packaging is to protect the product from damage and assist retailers in attracting attention to the product (Prentice Hall, 2008). The diagram below shows the difference between the packaging designs of the Carlsberg Lager. BEFORE AFTER Changes of the packaging design of Carlsberg Lager. By doing this, Carlsberg can create instant consumer recognition of the company or brand. Moreover, by making the packaging design unique, Carlsberg can competes with its competitors and its products packaging can also catch the attention of the consumers even if its products are on the same retail store shelves with other substitute beers. For example, Carlsberg started to use environmentally responsible packaging materials and packaging the Carlsberg lager into a unique style glass bottle and less used of papers on it. However, some elderly customers might not be able to see the words that are curved on the Carlsberg Lagers bottle and end up buying other substitute beers that the words can be see clearly. So, Carlsberg should also pay attention on the minority consumers and improve its packaging to look more outstanding than the other beer brands in the market. 3.2 Labeling Labels can be ranged from simple tags attached to products to complex graphics that are part of the package (Prentice Hall, 2008). Moreover, Carlsberg labels its products might also help to promote its products and also support its positioning. As for information, majority of the consumers will look at the percentage of the alcohol of the beer products and they prefer to buy those beer products contain with high percentage of alcohol. Carlsberg labels their beer products in detail: Carlsberg Special Brew It contains 12kcal of calories, 1.1g of carbohydrates, and 2.6g of alcohol. Carlsberg Lager It contains 12kcl of calories, 1.1g of carbohydrates, and 1.1g of alcohol. Tabor It contains 12kcl of calories, 1.1g of carbohydrates, and 1.4g of alcohol. Carlsberg Elephant It contains 13.75kcl of calories, 1.3g of carbohydrates, and 2.9 g of alcohol. Danish Royal Stout Ginseng It contains 15kcl of calories, 1.1g of carbohydrates, and 0.1g of alcohol. Tabor Gold It contains 12kc of calories, 1.1g of carbohydrates, and 2.3g alcohol. Besides that, Carlsberg ensures that their labels contain all the required information and also stated on its products that young adults who are below the age of 18 could not consume its beer products. 3.3 Branding Branding is important to the company because branding can add value to a product. Consumers prefer to buy goods by viewing the brand of the particular goods in the market. Since 1904, Carlsberg has a strong and well-known brand name in the beer industry. The slogan of Carlsberg is Probably the best lager in the world. Previously, Carlsbergs original logos include the swastika and an elephant. However, the world famous Carlsberg logo was introduced by Thorvald Bindesbell in the year 1904, for the launch of Carlsberg pilsner (Logo Design, 2010). The crown on the logo stands for the companys association with the Royal Danish Court. Pricing Price is the amount of money charged for a product or service (Prentice Hall, 2008). It is important to set a price for a product to create and capture customer values in the market. In Malaysia, the government has an authority to set the price for Carlsbergs products which is banned from Muslim. Several country like Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Malaysia have implemented piecemeal legislation such as banning the advertising on TV for any alcoholic beverages but the alcohol companies still have the right and freedom to promote their products. In addition to duties and excise tax, the government levies a sales tax of 20 per cent on the Carlsbergs beer product. As Carlsberg consumption is consider as price-sensitive, major changes in taxes may have an impact on demand. In Russia, an extreme 200% increase in excise duties on beer was implemented in January 2010, and in July 2009 the Ukraine implemented a significant increase of 94% in beer excise duty (Bloomberg, 2010). Carlsberg has carry out thorough scenario planning for 2010 and subsequent years based on already known and anticipated increases in beer excise duty levels. The scenarios include evaluation of prices, packaging and product mix, regional and national market positions and microeconomic factors such as changes in supply and demand for various input costs. Price list of Carlsberg Products The tables above show the price list of the product of both company according to the types of beers and the size volume of the beers. We have converted the price of each product from the United State Dollar ($) to Ringgit Malaysia (RM). 4.1 Internal and external considerations Every country has different pricing for Carlsbergs beer products. For example, Malaysia is an Islamic country. So, malays are not allowed to consume alcoholic drinks. The price of Carlsberg in Malaysia supposedly to be charged in a lower price compared to non-Islamic country. There are some areas in Malaysia which have duty-free for Carlsberg such as Pulau Langkawi. 4.2 Pricing Strategies Price-Adjustment Strategies Segmented pricing: Segmented pricing is to adjust the price to allow for differences in customers, products or locations (Prentice hall, 2008). Carlsberg company uses location pricing, so the price of Carlsberg can be adjusted and flexible but it depends on different country and even in restaurants. Carlsberg focus their sales in pub, restaurants or clubbing place. For instance, comparing the price of Carlsberg between pub and mini market, it seems obviously that the price of Carlsberg in pub would be relatively higher than mini market because people who go to pub are found to be able to afford it and the area of the pub is considered as high class. Carlsberg implements Everyday low pricing (EDLP) which involves charging a constant everyday low price with few or no temporary price discounts. It usually will have some discounts during the festival seasons like Chinese New Year and Christmas. Besides that, Carlsberg use pricing at or near which is one of the pricing strategies. There are few substitute beer products in the market, so the price of the Carlsbergs products will be the same or slightly different with the other substitute beer products. Thus, it can prevent the happening of the price war between Carlsberg and other beer brands. As for information, the price of Carlsbergs products are cheaper compared to the price of Heinekens product but it is slightly lower than the price of Heinekens product. However, the price of Carlsberg and Tiger are the same regardless the size of the beer or packaging. This will be tough for Carlsberg to boost up its sales due to the price for Carlsberg and Tiger are the same in the market. Carlsberg can increase its sales by improving the quality of the beers and give out free gift whenever consumers purchase a carton of Carlbergs beer products. By giving out free gift or limited edition stuff, it will attract the consumers to buy Carlsbergs beer products rather than buying other substitute beer brands in the market. 5.0 Promotion: Carlsberg is well-known in 105 countries such as Japan, Australia, Africa, China, India, and Malaysia, etc and sold in more than 150 markets. Besides that, Carlsberg has adopted some aggressive promotions around the world to pursuit people consume and aware it. In order to compete with its competitors, promotion must be done in order to increase the reputation, generate sales and profits. There are few strong beer brand eager to compete with Carlsberg since Carlsberg is an international business which have branches all around the world, such as Asia, Europe, and other countries. Promotion tactics for Carlsberg are advertising, public relations, sale promotion and personal selling. Moreover, Carlsberg is creating brand awareness in the public. Its public relations is Carlsberg Hue Zing Education Fund (CEF) which give out Studies Loan to all Malaysian citizens who are enrolled in local or foreign institutions of higher learning hold certificate in UEC, SPM or STPM, or any higher certificate. In the Year 2009, the Carlsberg Hue Zing Education Fund had allocated about RM450, 000 which had aided 31 students in need of financial assistance. By doing this, Malaysia citizens will have a good impression on Carlsberg and tend to consume its beer products due to other beer brands never adopt this strategy to create awareness for their products. Carlsberg was crowned the Grand Prize winner of the 11 annual Chinese New Year greeting advertisement award organized by China Press and Nan yang Siang Pau. It cleverly illustrates the transformation of the Chinese character from Ox to Life by adding the iconic Carlsberg swoosh. Furthermore, Carlsberg also have produced their own bottle opener which had their brand name on stated on it. The Glass Beer which label with the logo and Carlsberg Pilsner is also one of the promotion for Carlsberg in Malaysia. 5.1 Advertising Case 1 The contest open to all non-Muslim residents of Malaysia ONLY. Join the Carlsberg Monaco Promotion Contest now and you could win yourself an all expenses paid holiday on private yacht in Monaco. Buy the Carlberg beers that carry a scratch-to-win sticker , scratch it to get the code and submit the code complete with a slogan I am inspired à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (in 20 words or less) using SMS or via the website. For more informations, terms and conditions , please visit the contests site. Prizes : Grand Prize: 7D/6N all expenses paid holiday on private yacht in Monaco for 4 person Special Prize: 11 x 3D/2N paid holiday and yacht experience in Langkawi for 2 persons Weekly Prize: 15 x iPOD Shuffle (1GB) Contest End : On 25th May 2007 Posted: April 30, 2007 by ContestStation.net in Buy Win Contests As the case 1 above, we can see that in order to increase their sales, Carlsberg create a campaign, which provide scratch-to-win sticker to some Carlsberg beer and the participants are required to provide a slogan with the requirement, free traveling is available if they win in the competition. Meanwhile, Carlsberg can also get some inspiration of Slogan from customers and knows more about their consumers. This will create a win-win situation which both the consumers and Carlsberg gain benefit too. In this case, Carlsberg shows that they take importance on the political environment on Malaysia. Malaysia is an Islamic country and alcoholic drinks is illegal in the past, after few years, the government allowed alcoholic drinks to be imported into Malaysia but with the condition that Islamic people are not allowed to purchased or consumed alcoholic drinks. So, Carlsberg only opened this competition for non-Muslim which they are allowed to purchase alcoholic drinks. This shows that Carlsberg did a research before they conduct this activity in Malaysia. Assuming if Carlsberg ignore the rule and regulations, the government will take action on them, or even banned them from importing the alcoholic drinks to Malaysia. 5.2 Direct Mail Direct Mail is a method of advertising to increase the awareness of what promotion does the company had. It is now being claimed that is the fastest and the most saving cost in order to advertise. Carlsberg company spends money on buying the database to record the customers information, such as income level, race, age, taste and preference. By doing this, mailing to the right consumers to promote Carlsbergs beer products will be much more effective than mailing to those consumers who are not interested in alcoholic drinks. So, Carlsberg can send promotion via email to the customers to inform them about their new beer products and contest. However, one of the problems being faced by Carlsberg is that their name was being used by illegal organization which used their company address to scam people money. As shown in below, one of the consumers received the email which was send by the scammer and the email stated that she won a lottery which up to 650,000.00 Pounds from Carlsberg Beer Carlsberg Malta Company. When she attempted to called the contact number that was provided in the mail, she was shocked to find out that the people ask her to pay a few thousand pounds for the bank transfer fees before she can get the rewards. Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:27:09 -0600 (MDT) From: Carlsberg Company Promotion [emailprotected] Reply-To: [emailprotected] Subject: You Won 650.000.00 Pounds Sterlings: File For Clam now Carlsberg UK Ltd, Jacobsen House 140 Bridge Street, Northampton, NN1 1PZ ***PROMOTION NOTIFICATION*** Dear Winner, This is to inform you of the Award of Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds (650,000.00 Pounds) from Carlsberg Beer Carlsberg Malta Company.This Promotion Award is to raise the profile of Carlsberg Beer Carlsberg Malta Products consumers males / females in rural and urban Areas. The online promotions email lists were generated from the World Wide Web. This promotion takes place annually to challenge and to take market share from the popular Dutch import beer. The tactics included live events, local campaigns and general buzz to establish the brand one neighborhood at a time in major urban / rural Areas.Your Email Ref Number falls within our European booklet representatives office in United Kingdom . In view of this, your Award of Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Sterlings (650,000.00 Pounds Sterlings) will be released to you by will commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him, find below the contact details Mr. Edward Phil Processing Director. Email: [emailprotected] Tel: +44 70457 24289 He will brief you on steps to be taken for due processing and remittance of your prize money. File in for your Claims by Furnishing your Fiduciary Agent the information below. VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM 1. FULL NAMES:________________ 2. ADDRESS:_________City_________State________Postcode_______Country_____ 3. SEX:________________ 4. AGE:________________ 5. OCCUPATION:________________ 6. TELEPHONE NUMBER:________________ 7. NATIONALITY:____________________ Mode Of Transfer: (Bank to Bank online Transfer) From the management of Carlsberg Company UK we would like to say a big congratulation to you Sincerely, Mrs. Dianne Thompson Online Coordinator, Carlsberg Beer Malta Breweries In this case, Carlsberg should be aware of scam organization in the world and it should start to take actions to solve the serious scamming problems which will harm the company brand name in the future. Carlsberg can publishes through newspaper or via Email that they would never organize any contest which will need the customers to bank in a certain amount of money in order to win prizes. The promotion mix of Carlsberg is not very efficient because it is lacked of public relation. Therefore, if the consumers give any comments or suggestions, Carlsberg can make any adjustment to fulfill the consumer wants and improve their beer products quality in the future. 6.0 Place: Carlsberg company distributes its products throughtout the world. Carlsberg has divided their market into four groups which are Afica and Middle East, Americas, Asia and Europe. There are about 45,000 people are working for Carlsberg Group. Besides that, Carlsbergs products are available in exactly 314 countries all over the world. Furthermore, Carlsberg also has the same distribution channel with Heineken (its competitor) such as the wholesale distribution and retail distribution to distribute their products to the customers. Carlsberg will deliver their products to a combination of convience store or hypermarkers like Tesco or Jusco. Carlsberg does not have any distrbution center like Heineken or Tiger because Carlsberg focus on the retail distribution to distribute their products. Some of the example of the retail distribution are the pubs, clubs or bars. Carlsberg will establish alliance with some of the retail distribution to increase their sales. The market of Carlsberg in Africa is categorized according to the geographical. They made the segmentation into West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Eastern Africa and also North Africa. The Carlsberg Group has been active in western Africa for many years. In central Africa, currently there are only four markets present in Central Africa which is Gabon, Congo, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. In Cameroon, Les Brasseries du Cameroun has been producing Tuborg Gold locally since 1979, along with the range of local brands. Cameroon is a very competitive market compared to the rest of the region, with the consumption of 25 liters per person per year. In December 1969, Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Berhad began brewing with Carlsberg Green Label beer locally in 1972. The Carlsberg brand had become the part of daily life and it is now the undisputed market leader with more than a 50% share of the Malaysian beer market. Carlsberg Malaysia has aimed to be at the forefront of innovation and quality and always led the market with dynamic product launches and massive consumer campaigns. In 2008, Carlsberg Green Label received Malaysias Gold Most Trusted Brand Award for the ninth consecutive year in the Readers Digest consumer survey. In the same year, Carlsberg Malaysia was also announced as the winner of the 2008 Strongest Winning Culture Award amongst all the Carlsberg Group Company across the world. Furthermore, Carlsberg company plans to enter into the Germanys market. There are about 1300 breweries in Germany which is quite a lot of number compare to other small retails. The Germany beer is known as Carlsberg Deutschland. The Germany beer market has been rather sheltered from the rest of the world because of the German Reinheitsgebot regulation, which dated back to the year of 1516. In 2004, Carlsberg acquires a majority shareholding in Holsten-Brauerei. The market position of Carlsberg in Northern Germany is second, while at the whole Germany is the fifth. As for the distribution part, we suggest that Carlsberg should follow the steps of Heineken and Tiger (its competitors) to open several distribution center in many countries, so that the consumers can be able to consume Carlsbergs beer products at anytime and anywhere. Besides that, Carlsberg should also built some distribution center at the rural area, although the place was not well developed. By doing this, more and more people will start to know Carlsbergs brand name throughout the world regardless in the city or rural area. Stem Cells: History, Properties and Research Stem Cells: History, Properties and Research History Stem cells  are  cells  found in all multi cellular  organisms. They are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through  mitotic  cell division and  differentiate  into a diverse range of specialized cell types. Research in the stem cell field grew out of findings by  Ernest A. McCulloch  and James E. Till  at the  University of Toronto  in the 1960s The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are:  embryonic stem cells  that are isolated from the  inner cell mass  of  blastocysts, and  adult stem cells  that are found in adult tissues. In a developing  embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult  organisms, stem cells and  progenitor cells  act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues. Stem cells can now be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through  cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells from a variety of sources, including  umbilical cord blood  and  bone marrow, are routinely used in medical therapies. Embryonic  cell lines  and  autologous  embryonic stem cells generated through  therapeutic cloning  have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies Contents (Jump to) 1  Properties 1.1  Self-renewal 1.2  Potency definitions 1.3  Identification 2  Embryonic 3  Adult 4  Amniotic 5  Induced pluripotent 6  Lineage 7  Treatments 8  Research patents 9  Key research events 10  References Properties The classical definition of a stem cell requires that it possess two properties: Self-renewal   the ability to go through numerous  cycles  of  cell division  while maintaining the undifferentiated state. Potency   the capacity to  differentiate  into specialized cell types. In the strictest sense, this requires stem cells to be either  totipotent  or  pluripotent   to be able to give rise to any mature cell type, although  multipotent  or  unipotent  progenitor cells  are sometimes referred to as stem cells. Self-renewal Two mechanisms exist to ensure that the stem cell population is maintained: Obligatory asymmetric replication   a stem cell divides into one  daughter cell  that is identical to the original stem cell, and another daughter cell that is differentiated Stochastic differentiation   when one stem cell develops into two differentiated daughter cells, another stem cell undergoes  mitosis  and produces two stem cells identical to the original. Potency definitions Pluripotent, embryonic stem cells originate as inner mass cells within a blastocyst. The stem cells can become any tissue in the body, excluding a placenta. Only the morulas cells are totipotent, able to become all tissues and a placenta. Human  embryonic  stem cells A: Cell colonies that are not yet differentiated. B:  Nerve  cell Potency  specifies the differentiation potential (the potential to differentiate into different cell types) of the stem cell. Totipotent  (a.k.a  omnipotent) stem cells can differentiate into embryonic and extraembryonic cell types. Such cells can construct a complete, viable, organism.  These cells are produced from the fusion of an egg and sperm cell. Cells produced by the first few divisions of the fertilized egg are also totipotent. Pluripotent  stem cells are the descendants of totipotent cells and can differentiate into nearly all cells,  i.e. cells derived from any of the three  germ layers. Multipotent  stem cells can differentiate into a number of cells, but only those of a closely related family of cells. Oligopotent  stem cells can differentiate into only a few cells, such as lymphoid or myeloid stem cells. Unipotent  cells can produce only one cell type, their own,  but have the property of self-renewal which distinguishes them from non-stem cells (e.g. muscle stem cells). Identification The practical definition of a stem cell is the functional definition a cell that has the potential to regenerate tissue over a lifetime. For example, the gold standard test for a bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) is the ability to transplant one cell and save an individual without HSCs. In this case, a stem cell must be able to produce new blood cells and immune cells over a long term, demonstrating potency. It should also be possible to isolate stem cells from the transplanted individual, which can themselves be transplanted into another individual without HSCs, demonstrating that the stem cell was able to self-renew. Properties of stem cells can be illustrated  in vitro, using methods such as  clonogenic assays, where single cells are characterized by their ability to differentiate and self-renew.  As well, stem cells can be isolated based on a distinctive set of cell surface markers. However,  in vitro  culture conditions can alter the behavior of cells, making it unclear whether the cells will behave in a similar manner  in vivo. Considerable debate exists whether some proposed adult cell populations are truly stem cells. Embryonic Embryonic stem cell lines  (ES cell lines) are cultures of cells derived from the  epiblast  tissue of the  inner cell mass  (ICM) of a  blastocyst  or earliermorula  stage embryos.  A blastocyst is an early stage  embryo-approximately four to five days old in humans and consisting of 50-150 cells. ES cells are  pluripotent  and give rise during development to all derivatives of the three primary  germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult  body  when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific cell type. They do not contribute to the extra-embryonic membranes or the  placenta. Nearly all research to date has taken place using mouse embryonic stem cells (mES) or human embryonic stem cells (hES). Both have the essential stem cell characteristics, yet they require very different environments in order to maintain an undifferentiated state. Mouse ES cells are grown on a layer of gelatin and require the presence of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF). Human ES cells are grown on a feeder layer of mouse embryonic  fibroblasts(MEFs) and require the presence of basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF or FGF-2).  Without optimal culture conditions or genetic manipulation, embryonic stem cells will rapidly differentiate. A human embryonic stem cell is also defined by the presence of several transcription factors and cell surface proteins. The transcription factors  Oct-4,Nanog, and  Sox2  form the core regulatory network that ensures the suppression of genes that lead to differentiation and the maintenance of pluripotency.  The cell surface antigens most commonly used to identify hES cells are the glycolipids SSEA3 and SSEA4 and the keratan sulfate antigens Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81. The molecular definition of a stem cell includes many more proteins and continues to be a topic of research. After nearly ten years of research,  there are no approved treatments using embryonic stem cells. The first human trial was approved by the US Food Drug Administration in January 2009.  However, as of August 2010, the first human trial had not yet been initiated. Although, The first human medical trial for embryonic stem cells started in Atlanta on October 13, 2010 for spinal injury victims. ES cells, being pluripotent cells, require specific signals for correct differentiation if injected directly into another body, ES cells will differentiate into many different types of cells, causing a  teratoma. Differentiating ES cells into usable cells while avoiding transplant rejection are just a few of the hurdles that embryonic stem cell researchers still face.  Many nations currently have  moratoria  on either ES cell research or the production of new ES cell lines. Because of their combined abilities of unlimited expansion and pluripotency, embryonic stem cells remain a the oretically potential source for  regenerative medicine  and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Adult Also known as  somatic stem cells and  germline  (giving rise to gametes) stem cells, they can be found in children, as well as adults. Stem cell division and differentiation.  A stem cell; B progenitor cell; C differentiated cell; 1 symmetric stem cell division; 2 asymmetric stem cell division; 3 progenitor division; 4 terminal differentiation Pluripotent adult stem cells are rare and generally small in number but can be found in a number of tissues including umbilical cord blood.  A great deal of adult stem cell research has focused on clarifying their capacity to divide or self-renew indefinitely and their differentiation potential.  In mice, pluripotent stem cells are directly generated from adult fibroblast cultures. Unfortunately, many mice dont live long with stem cell organs. Most adult stem cells are lineage-restricted (multipotent) and are generally referred to by their tissue origin (mesenchymal stem cell, adipose-derived stem cell,endothelial stem cell, etc.). Adult stem cell treatments have been successfully used for many years to treat leukemia and related bone/blood cancers through bone marrow transplants.  Adult stem cells are also used in veterinary medicine to treat tendon and ligament injuries in horses. The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as  controversial  as  embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an  embryo. Additionally, because in some instances adult stem cells can be obtained from the intended recipient, (an  autograft) the risk of rejection is essentially non-existent in these situations. Consequently, more US government funding is being provided for adult stem cell research. An extremely rich source for adult mesenchymal stem cells is the developing tooth bud of the mandibular third molar. While considered multipotent they may prove to be pluripotent. The stem cells eventually form enamel (ectodrm), dentin,periodontal ligament, blood vessels, dental pulp, nervous tissues, including a minimum of 29 different unique end organs. Because of extreme ease in collection at 8-10 years of age before calcification and minimal to no morbidity will probably constitute a major source for personal banking, research and multiple therapies. These stem cells have been shown capable of producing hepatocytes. Amniotic Multipotent stem cells are also found in  amniotic fluid. These stem cells are very active, expand extensively without feeders and are not tumorigenic.  Amniotic stem cells  are multipotent and can differentiate in cells of adipogenic, osteogenic, myogenic, endothelial, hepatic and also neuronal lines.  All over the world, universities and research institutes are studying  amniotic fluid  to discover all the qualities of amniotic stem cells, and scientists such as  Anthony Atala  and  Giuseppe Simoni  have discovered important results. From an ethical point of view, stem cells from  amniotic fluid  can solve a lot of problems, because its possible to catch amniotic stem cells without destroying embryos. For example, the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano called amniotic stem cell the future of medicine. Its possible to collect amniotic stem cells for donors or for autologuous use: the first US amniotic stem cells bank   opened in Medford, MA, by  Biocell Center  Corporation  Ã‚  and collaborates with various hospitals and universities all over the world Induced pluripotent These are not adult stem cells, but rather reprogrammed cells (e.g. epithelial cells) given pluripotent capabilities. Using genetic reprogramming with protein  transcription factors, pluripotent stem cells equivalent to  embryonic stem cells  have been derived from human adult skin tissue.  Shinya Yamanaka  and his colleagues at  Kyoto University  used the transcription factors Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4  in their experiments on cells from human faces.  Junying Yu,  James Thomson, and their colleagues at the  University of Wisconsin-Madison  used a different set of factors, Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and Lin28,  and carried out their experiments using cells from human  foreskin. As a result of the success of these experiments,  Ian Wilmut, who helped create the first cloned animal  Dolly the Sheep, has announced that he will abandon  nuclear transfer  as an avenue of research. Frozen blood samples can be used as a source of induced pluripotent stem cells, opening a new avenue for obtaining the valued cells. Lineage They ensure self-renewal, stem cells undergo two types of cell division (see  Stem cell division and differentiation  diagram). Symmetric division gives rise to two identical daughter cells both endowed with stem cell properties. Asymmetric division, on the other hand, produces only one stem cell and a  progenitor cell  with limited self-renewal potential. Progenitors can go through several rounds of cell division before terminally  differentiating  into a mature cell. It is possible that the molecular distinction between symmetric and asymmetric divisions lies in differential segregation of cell membrane proteins (such as  receptors) between the daughter cells. An alternative theory is that stem cells remain undifferentiated due to environmental cues in their particular niche. Stem cells differentiate when they leave that niche or no longer receive those signals. Studies in  Drosophila  germarium have identified the signals dpp and adherens junctions that prevent germarium stem cells from differentiating. Main article:  Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell The signals that lead to reprogramming of cells to an embryonic-like state are also being investigated. These signal pathways include several  transcription factors  including the  oncogene  c-Myc. Initial studies indicate that transformation of mice cells with a combination of these anti-differentiation signals can reverse differentiation and may allow adult cells to become pluripotent. However, the need to transform these cells with an oncogene may prevent the use of this approach in therapy. Challenging the terminal nature of cellular differentiation and the integrity of lineage commitment, it was recently determined that the somatic expression of combined  transcription factors  can directly induce other defined somatic cell fates; researchers identified three neural-lineage-specific transcription factors that could directly convert mouse  fibroblasts  (skin cells) into fully-functional  neurons. This induced neurons (iN) cell research inspires the researchers to induce other cell types implies that  all  cells are  totipotent: with the proper tools, all cells may form all kinds of tissue. Treatments Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential to dramatically change the treatment of human disease. A number of adult stem cell therapies already exist, particularly  bone marrow transplants  that are used to treat  leukemia.  In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a wider variety of diseases including  cancer, Parkinsons disease,  spinal cord injuries,  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,  multiple sclerosis, and  muscle  damage, amongst a number of other impairments and conditions.  However, there still exists a great deal of social and scientific uncertainty surrounding stem cell research, which could possibly be overcome through public debate and future research, and further education of the public. One concern of treatment is the possible risk that transplanted stem cells could form tumors and have the possibility of becoming cancerous if cell division continues uncontrollably. Stem cells, however, are already studied extensively. While some scientists are hesitant to associate the therapeutic potential of stem cells as the first goal of the research, they find the investigation of stem cells as a goal worthy in itself. Contrarily, supporters of embryonic stem cell research argue that such research should be pursued because the resultant treatments could have significant medical potential. It is also noted that excess embryos created for  in vitro fertilization  could be donated with consent and used for the research Diseases and conditions where stem cell treatment is promising or emerging.  Bone marrow transplantation is, as of 2009, the only established use of stem cells. Research patents The  patents  covering a lot of work on human embryonic stem cells are owned by the  Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation  (WARF). WARF does not charge academics to study human stem cells but does charge commercial users. WARF sold  Geron Corp.  exclusive rights to work on human stem cells but later sued Geron Corp. to recover some of the previously sold rights. The two sides agreed that Geron Corp. would keep the rights to only three cell types. In 2001, WARF came under public pressure to widen access to human stem-cell technology. These patents are now in doubt as a request for reviewing the  US Patent and Trademark Office  has been filed by non-profit patent-watchdogs  The Foundation for Taxpayer Consumer Rights, and the  Public Patent Foundation  as well as molecular biologist Jeanne Loring of the Burnham Institute. According to them, two of the patents granted to WARF are invalid because they cover a technique published in 1993 for which a patent had already been granted to an Australian researcher. Another part of the challenge states that these techniques, developed by  James A. Thomson, are rendered obvious by a 1990 paper and two textbooks. The outcome of this legal challenge is particularly relevant to the Geron Corp. as it can only license patents that are upheld. Key research events January 2008   Robert Lanza and colleagues at Advanced Cell Technology and UCSF create the first human embryonic stem cells without destruction of the embryo January 2008   Development of human cloned blastocysts following  somatic cell nuclear transfer  with adult fibroblasts. February 2008   Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult mouse liver and stomach: these iPS cells seem to be more similar to embryonic stem cells than the previously developed iPS cells and not tumorigenic, moreover genes that are required for iPS cells do not need to be inserted into specific sites, which encourages the development of non-viral reprogramming techniques. March 2008 The first published study of successful cartilage regeneration in the human knee using autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells is published by clinicians from Regenerative Sciences. October 2008   Sabine Conrad and colleagues at Tà ¼bingen, Germany generate  pluripotent stem cells  from spermatogonial cells of adult human testis by culturing the cells in vitro under  leukemia inhibitory factor  (LIF) supplementation. 30 October 2008   Embryonic-like stem cells from a single human hair. 1 March 2009   Andras Nagy, Keisuke Kaji,  et al.  discover a way to produce embryonic-like stem cells from normal adult cells by using a novel wrapping procedure to deliver specific genes to adult cells to reprogram them into stem cells without the risks of using a virus to make the change. The use of  electroporation  is said to allow for the temporary insertion of genes into the cell. 28 May 2009  Kim  et al.  announced that they had devised a way to manipulate skin cells to create patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), claiming it to be the ultimate stem cell solution. 11 October 2010  First trial of embryonic stem cells in humans References Becker AJ, McCulloch EA, Till JE (1963). Cytological demonstration of the clonal nature of spleen colonies derived from transplanted mouse marrow cells.   Siminovitch L, McCulloch EA, Till JE (1963). The distribution of colony-forming cells among spleen colonies.  Journal of Cellular and Comparative Physiology. Tuch BE (2006). Stem cells-a clinical update.  Australian Family Physician. Hans R. Schà ¶ler (2007). The Potential of Stem Cells: An Inventory. In Nikolaus Knoepffler, Dagmar Schipanski, and Stefan Lorenz Sorgner.  Humanbiotechnology as Social Challenge. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Mitalipov S, Wolf D (2009).  HYPERLINK http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrezartid=2752493Totipotency, pluripotency and nuclear reprogrammingHYPERLINK http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrezartid=2752493.  Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol   Ulloa-Montoya F, Verfaillie CM, Hu WS (Jul 2005). Culture systems for pluripotent stem cells.  J Biosci Bioeng.   Friedenstein AJ, Deriglasova UF, Kulagina NN, Panasuk AF, Rudakowa SF, Luria EA, Ruadkow IA (1974). Precursors for fibroblasts in different populations of hematopoietic cells as detected by the  in vitro  colony assay method.