Efficient Movement Of Finished Goods Marketing Essay

Efficient Movement Of Finished Goods Marketing Essay Physical distribution is the set of activities concerned with efficient movement of finished goods from the end of the production operation to the consumer. Physical distribution takes place within numerous wholesaling and retailing distribution channels, and includes such important decision areas as customer service, inventory control, materials handling, protective packaging, order procession, transportation, warehouse site selection, and warehousing. Physical distribution is part of a larger process called distribution, which includes wholesale and retail marketing, as well the physical movement of products. Physical distribution activities have recently received increasing attention from business managers, including small business owners. This is due in large part to the fact that these functions often represent almost half of the total marketing costs of a product. In fact, research studies indicate that physical distribution costs nationally amount to approximately 20 percent of the countrys total gross national product (GNP). These findings have led many small businesses to expand their cost-cutting efforts beyond their historical focus on production to encompass physical distribution activities. The importance of physical distribution is also based on its relevance to customer satisfaction. By storing goods in convenient locations for shipment to wholesalers and retailers, and by creating fast, reliable means of moving the goods, small business owners can help assure continued success in a rapidly changing, competitive global market. A SYSTEM APPROACH Physical distribution can be viewed as a system of components linked together for the efficient movement of products. Small business owners can ask the following questions in addressing these components: Customer servicehat level of customer service should be provided? Transportationow will the products be shipped? Warehousinghere will the goods be located? How many warehouses should be utilized? Order processingow should the orders be handled? Inventory controlow much inventory should be maintained at each location? Protective packaging and materials handlingow can efficient methods be developed for handling goods in the factory, warehouse, and transport terminals? These components are interrelated: decisions made in one area affect the relative efficiency of others. For example, a small business that provides customized personal computers may transport finished products by air rather than by truck, as faster delivery times may allow lower inventory costs, which would more than offset the higher cost of air transport. Viewing physical distribution from a systems perspective can be the key to providing a defined level of customer service at the lowest possible cost. CUSTOMER SERVICE Customer service is a precisely-defined standard of customer satisfaction which a small business owner intends to provide for its customers. For example, a customer service standard for the above-mentioned provider of customized computers might be that 60 percent of all PCS reach the customer within 48 hours of ordering. It might further set a standard of delivering 90 percent of all of its units within 72 hours, and all 100 percent of its units within 96 hours. A physical distribution system is then set up to reach this goal at the lowest possible cost. In todays fast-paced, technologically advanced business environment, such systems often involve the use of specialized software that allows the owner to track inventory while simultaneously analyzing all the routes and transportation modes available to determine the fastest, most cost-effective way to delivery goods on time. TRANSPORTATION The United States transportation system has long been a government-regulated industry, much like its telephone and electrical utilities. But in 1977 the deregulation of transportation began with the removal of federal regulations for cargo air carriers not engaged in passenger transportation. The deregulation movement has since expanded in ways that have fundamentally altered the transportation landscape for small business owners, large conglomerates and, ultimately, the consumer. Transportation costs are largely based on the rates charged by carriers. There are two basic types of transportation rates: class and commodity. The class rate, which is the higher of the two rates, is the standard rate for every commodity moving between any two destinations. The commodity rate is sometimes called a special rate, since it is given by carriers to shippers as a reward for either regular use or large-quantity shipments. Unfortunately, many small business owners do not have the volume of shipping needed to take advantage of commodity rates. However, small businesses are increasingly utilizing a third type of rate that has emerged in recent years. This rate is known as a negotiated or contract rate. Popularized in the 1980s following transportation deregulation, contract rates allow a shipper and carrier to negotiate a rate for a particular service, with the terms of the rate, service, and other variables finalized in a contract between the two parties. Transportation cos ts vary by mode of shipping, as discussed below. TRUCKINGLEXIBLE AND GROWING The shipping method most favored by small business (and many large enterprises as well) is trucking. Carrying primarily manufactured products (as opposed to bulk materials), trucks offer fast, frequent, and economic delivery to more destinations in the country than any other mode. Trucks are particularly useful for short-distance shipments, and they offer relatively fast, consistent service for both large and small shipments. AIR FREIGHTAST BUT EXPENSIVE Because of the relatively high cost of air transport, small businesses typically use air only for the movement of valuable or highly-perishable products. However, goods that qualify for this treatment do represent a significant share of the small business market. Owners can sometimes offset the high cost of air transportation with reduced inventory-holding costs and the increased business that may accompany faster customer service. WATER CARRIERSLOW BUT INEXPENSIVE There are two basic types of water carriers: inland or barge lines, and oceangoing deep-water ships. Barge lines are efficient transporters of bulky, low-unit-value commodities such as grain, gravel, lumber, sand, and steel. Barge lines typically do not serve small businesses. Oceangoing ships, on the other hand, operate in the Great Lakes, transporting goods among port cities, and in international commerce. Sea shipments are an important part of foreign trade, and thus are of vital importance to small businesses seeking an international market share. RAILROADSONG DISTANCE SHIPPING Railroads continue to present an efficient mode for the movement of bulky commodities over long distances. These commodities include coal, chemicals, grain, non-metallic minerals, and lumber and wood products. PIPELINESPECIALIZED TRANSPORTERS Pipelines are utilized to efficiently transport natural gas and oil products from mining sites to refineries and other destinations. In addition, so-called slurry pipelines transport products such as coal, which is ground to a powder, mixed with water, and moved as a suspension through the pipes. INTERMODAL SERVICES Small business owners often take advantage of multi-mode deals offered by shipping companies. Under these arrangements, business owners can utilize a given transportation mode in the section of the trip in which it is most cost efficient, and use other modes for other segments of the transport. Overall costs are often significantly lower under this arrangement than with single-mode transport. Of vital importance to small businesses are transporters specializing in small shipments. These include bus freight services, United Parcel Service, Federal Express, DHL International, the United States Postal Service, and others. Since small businesses can be virtually paralyzed by transportation strikes or other disruptions in small shipment service, many owners choose to diversify to include numerous shippers, thus maintaining an established relationship with an alternate shipper should disruptions occur. Additionally, small businesses often rely on freight forwarders who act as transportation intermediaries: these firms consolidate shipments from numerous customers to provide lower rates than are available without consolidation. Freight forwarding not only provides cost savings to small businesses, it provides entrepreneurial opportunities for start-up businesses as well. WAREHOUSING Small business owners who require warehousing facilities must decide whether to maintain their own strategically located depot(s), or resort to holding their goods in public warehouses. And those entrepreneurs who go with non-public warehousing must further decide between storage or distribution facilities. A storage warehouse holds products for moderate to long-term periods in an attempt to balance supply and demand for producers and purchasers. They are most often used by small businesses whose products supply and demand are seasonal. On the other hand, a distribution warehouse assembles and redistributes products quickly, keeping them on the move as much as possible. Many distribution warehouses physically store goods for fewer than 24 hours before shipping them on to customers. In contrast to the older, multi-story structures that dot cities around the country, modern warehouses are long, one-story buildings located in suburban and semi-rural settings where land costs are substantially less. These facilities are often located so that their users have easy access to major highways or other transportation options. Single-story construction eliminates the need for installing and maintaining freight elevators, and for accommodating floor load limits. Furthermore, the internal flow of stock runs a straight course rather than up and down multiple levels. The efficient movement of goods involves entry on one side of the building, central storage, and departure out the other end. Computer technology for automating warehouses is dropping in price, and thus is increasingly available for small business applications. Sophisticated software translates orders into bar codes and determines the most efficient inventory picking sequence. Order information is keyboarded only once, while labels, bills, and shipping documents are generated automatically. Information reaches hand-held scanners, which warehouse staff members use to fill orders. The advantages of automation include low inventory error rates and high processing speeds. INVENTORY CONTROL Inventory control can be a major component of a small business physical distribution system. Costs include funds invested in inventory, depreciation, and possible obsolescence of the goods. Experts agree that small business inventory costs have dropped dramatically due to deregulation of the transportation industry. Inventory control analysts have developed a number of techniques which can help small businesses control inventory effectively. The most basic is the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model. This involves a trade-off between the two fundamental components of an inventory control cost: inventory-carrying cost (which increases with the addition of more inventory), and order-processing cost (which decreases as the quantity ordered increases). These two cost items are traded off in determining the optimal warehouse inventory quantity to maintain for each product. The EOQ point is the one at which total cost is minimized. By maintaining product inventories as close to the EOQ point as possible, small business owners can minimize their inventory costs. ORDER PROCESSING The small business owner is concerned with order processingnother physical distribution functionecause it directly affects the ability to meet the customer service standards defined by the owner. If the order processing system is efficient, the owner can avoid the costs of premium transportation or high inventory levels. Order processing varies by industry, but often consists of four major activities: a credit check; recording of the sale, such as crediting a sales representatives commission account; making the appropriate accounting entries; and locating the item, shipping, and adjusting inventory records. Technological innovations, such as increased use of the Universal Product Code, are contributing to greater efficiency in order processing. Bar code systems give small businesses the ability to route customer orders efficiently and reduce the need for manual handling. The coded information includes all the data necessary to generate customer invoices, thus eliminating the need for repeated keypunching. Another technological innovation affecting order processing is Electronic Data Interchange. EDI allows computers at two different locations to exchange business documents in machine-readable format, employing strictly-defined industry standards. Purchase orders, invoices, remittance slips, and the like are exchanged electronically, thereby eliminating duplication of data entry, dramatic reductions in data entry errors, and increased speed in procurement cycles. PROTECTIVE PACKAGING AND MATERIALS HANDLING Another important component of a small business physical distribution system is material handling. This comprises all of the activities associated with moving products within a production facility, warehouse, and transportation terminals. One important innovation is known as unitizingombining as many packages as possible into one load, preferably on a pallet. Unitizing is accomplished with steel bands or shrink wrapping to hold the unit in place. Advantages of this material handling methodology include reduced labor, rapid movement, and minimized damage and pilferage. A second innovation is containerizationhe combining of several unitized loads into one box. Containers that are presented in this manner are often unloaded in fewer than 24 hours, whereas the task could otherwise take days or weeks. This speed allows small export businesses adequate delivery schedules in competitive international markets. In-transit damage is also reduced because individual packages are not handled en route to the purchaser. FURTHER READING: Artman Les. Clancy, David. Distribution Follows Consumer Movement.  Transportation and Distribution.  June 1990. Bowersox, Donald, et al. How Supply Chain Competency Leads to Business Success.  Supply Chain Management.  September 2000. Brenner, Gary, Joel Ewan, and Henry Custer.  The Complete Handbook for the Entrepreneur.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Evans, James.  Production and Operations Management: Quality, Performance, and Value.  West Publishing Company, 1997. Schmenner, Roger.  Production and Operations Management: From the Inside Out.  Macmillan, 1993. Supply Chain, Distribution, and Fulfillment.  International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management.  October 2000. Wood, Donald, and James Johnson.  Contemporary Logistics.  Prentice Hall, 1996. SEE ALSO:  Distribution Channels;  Transportation Source:  Encyclopedia of Small Business,  ©2002 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved.  Full copyright. Importance of physical distribution by  ADMIN  on  MARCH 28, 2007 Physical distribution / marketing logistics form a pivotal part of the marketing task. It is physical distribution that confers place-utility and time-utility to a product by making it available to the user at the right place and at the right time thereby it maximizes the chance to sell the product and strengthen the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s competitive position. If any product made in any place could be consumed in ità ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s entirely at the very place of production and at the very time of production, there would be no need for physical distribution of that product. But such products are very rare. In practice, almost every product gets consumed at places and times that are different fro those of their manufacture. They have to be carried to places of consumption; they have to be stored; and they have to be distributed. Where Production Locations and Markets are distanced, Physical Distribution becomes more crucial. In some cases, production locations are totally dictated by considerations like proximity to sources of raw material. As a result, the points of production might be far away from the markets for the product. In some cases, huge production capacities get established at a given location on consideration of technology and economies of scale. In all such cases, the product has to be marketed over an extended territory; it has to be transported over long distances, stored for a considerable length of time and sold. There are products, which are impacted by the seasonality factor- either production is continuous but demand is seasonal, or demand is continuous but production is seasonal. Here too, physical distribution becomes particularly crucial. It has to perform the balancing act between production and consumption. Helps Build Clientele It is physical distribution that determines the customer service level to a large extent. As a result, it serves as a vital tool in building clientele / market for the product. And conversely, ineffective physical distribution leads to loss of customers and markets. A Promising Area for Cost Reduction Physical distribution is a fertile area for cost savings. Over the years, in most businesses, physical distribution costs have grown into a sizeable chunk of the total costs and now ranks second among all cost elements, next only to material costs. And surprisingly, it has remained one of the neglected areas of cost control. The Dark Continent: Peter Drucker has rightly compared physical distribution to the à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“dark continent of Africa of napoleonà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s daysà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. He said, à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“we know about physical distribution today just as much as what Napoleonà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s contemporaries knew about the interior of Africa. We know it is there and we know it is big and thatà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s allà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. The message is obvious. Physical distribution is the most promising area for cost control. more at  http://www.citeman.com/1665-importance-of-physical-distribution.html#ixzz258EK3EJO Warehousing   Warehousing Warehousing is the second major component of physical distribution. Warehousing management has two distinct and equally important parts: 1. The physical job of creating and running the network of storage points and 2. The managerial task of controlling inventory levels without sacrificing service levels. Role and Importance of Warehousing Points below explain the role and importance of warehousing. Like transportation warehousing too vests the product with time utility and place uti   Article On CiteMan.com Inventory management some crucial factors   Inventory management some crucial factors Inventory management is the third major component of physical distribution task. It will be obvious that without effective management of finished product inventory it is impossible to run any business efficiently and profitably. Inventory is Inescapable: Carrying inventories is inescapable in most business. This is because the producing and consuming activities take place at different times in different locations and at different rates. Inventories are   Article On CiteMan.com Sales promotion budget   Sales promotion budget 1. Direct Fixed and Variable Costs: The direct fixed costs are costs of physically distributing samples placing advertisements and point of purchase material etc. Variable costs are payment made to the retailer for each coupon redeemed. 2. Likely market response: The marketer it is suggested should analyze six types of market responses. These are: a Redemption rates b Displacement rates c Acquisition rates d Stock up rates e Conversion rates f Product line effects Le   Article On CiteMan.com Importance of physical distribution   Importance of physical distribution Physical distribution / marketing logistics form a pivotal part of the marketing task. It is physical distribution that confers placeutility and timeutility to a product by making it available to the user at the right place and at the right time thereby it maximizes the chance to sell the product and strengthen the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s competitive position. If any product made in any place could be consumed in ità ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s entirely at the very place of production and at the    Article On CiteMan.com Transportation   Transportation The importance of transportation in physical distribution emanates from a variety of factors. Transportation confers à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“time utilityà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“place utilityà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ to the product; it determines the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s customer service; it also has a crucial bearing on the other elements of physical distribution and marketing like warehousing inventory control and channel management. Finally transportation is a very important cost element in most businesses. Assessment of the Transportation Re   Article On CiteMan.com Outsourcing marketing logistics   Outsourcing marketing logistics In recent times firms have been taking to non conventional approaches in the matter of physical distribution / management of marketing logistics. Complete outsourcing of marketing logistics is perhaps is perhaps the most noteworthy of them all. Globally outsourcing of physical distribution and channel services has become the inthing in recent years. Firms strike arrangement with external logistics service providers and allow them to function as their extended arm    Article On CiteMan.com Designing a marketing logistics system   Designing a marketing logistics system The Steps involved in designing a physical distribution system as shown below. The first step distribution objectives of the firm must be properly articulated and the minimum service level to be guaranteed in delivery must be clearly specified. In fact the guaranteed minimum service level in delivery is the key to a physical distribution system. It is also the touchstone for measuring the efficiency of the system. Component Functions of Physical Distributio   Article On CiteMan.com Materials Management An integrated ViewHYPERLINK http://www.citeman.com/index.php?p=4546   Materials Management An integrated View The various components of the management of materials were discussed such as: 1. Purchasing 2. Inventory Control 3. Storage and materials handling 4. Physical Distribution of materials Each of these is equally important and although some division of responsibility and authority is necessary for dealing with them we cannot treat them as isolated water tight compartments. The decisions taken by a purchasing executive will have to be tempered or modified by    Article On CiteMan.com Marketing logistics   Marketing logistics Physical distribution / Marketing Logistics Physical distribution is the process of delivering the product to the marketing channels and consumers. It encompasses the various activities involved in the physical flow of the product from the producer to the consumer. Marketing logistics is somewhat larger in scope compared to physical distribution. It covers physical distribution plus a part of the task of marketing channels. While physical distribution takes care of functions    Article On CiteMan.com Physical distribution marketing logistics needs a system approach   Physical distribution marketing logistics needs a system approach As the functions are interdependent the cost there of are also closely interrelated. Very often one function subsidies another For example if the firm is prepared to incur increased costs on transportation it may be in a position reduce its warehousing/inventory cost. This is because in such a case the firm can use the fastest mode of transport and rush the stocks to the desired warehouse unmindful of the transportation cost. Obv   Article On CiteMan.com Physical Distribution Management (PDM)HYPERLINK http://www.citeman.com/index.php?p=4530   Physical Distribution Management PDM A customer is served by: 1 identifying an existing or potential need of the customer giving concrete expression and shape to the need through advertising designing the product and pricing it; 2 manufacturing the product; and 3 making the product available to the customer at the right place and time by a proper arrangement of the movements and local storages of the product. Physical Distribution Management function also called Logistics is concerned with item.   Article On CiteMan.com Linear ProgrammingHYPERLINK http://www.citeman.com/index.php?p=4833   Linear Programming Linear Programming is an Operations Research technique which originated during the early 1950s. Having diverse practical applications this technique has benefited immensely various organizations in their production and other operations. Prof. G B Dantzig is one of the pioneers in formulating the procedure of linear Programming. This technique can be applied in various situations: long range planning production planning warehousing decisions physical distribution marketing and    Article On CiteMan.com Concept behind physical distributionHYPERLINK http://www.citeman.com/index.php?p=10700   Concept behind physical distribution The concept behind physical distribution is the achievement of the optimum lowest system cost consistent with customer service objectives of the firm. If the activities in the physical distribution system are viewed separately without consideration of their interdependence the final cost of distribution may be higher than the lowest possible cost optimum cost and the quality of service may be adversely affected. Additional variables and costs that are interde   Article On CiteMan.com What is physical distribution in marketing? Physical distribution is the set of activities concerned with efficient movement of finished goods from the end of the production operation to the consumer. Physical distribution takes place within numerous wholesaling and retailing distribution channels, and includes such important decision areas as customer service, inventory control, materials handling, protective packaging, order procession, transportation, warehouse site selection, and warehousing. Physical distribution is part of a larger process called distribution, which includes wholesale and retail marketing, as well the physical movement of products. Read more:  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_physical_distribution_in_marketing#ixzz258KzBFH3 What is the Physical Distribution of Market? Physical Distribution focuses on an efficient movement of manufacturer to intermediaries and the consumer .channel and physical distribution decisions are interrelated but channel decisions tend to be made earlier. The aim is to provide intermediaries and customers with the right products, in the rights quantities, in the right locations, t the right time. Effectives physical distribution save the cost and improve customer service  Ã‚   levels. Cost saving can be achieved by   reducing inventory levels , using cheaper   forms   of transport and shipping   in bluk.Customer service levels   can be improved by   fast and reliable delivery  Ã‚   ,holding high inventory so that a customer have  Ã‚   a wide choice   and the chance of   stock out   are   reduced , fast order processing   and   ensuring   product arrive   in the quantities and   quality .Physical distribution   management   concern   the balance between   cost reduction and   mee ting customer service requirement . Trade offs are often necessary, for instance, low inventory and slow, cheaper transportation method reduce the cost   but lower customer   services levels   and   satisfaction   as well .   Determining this balance is a key marketing decision as physical distribution can be a   source   of  Ã‚   competitive advantage .   Distribution (business) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marketing Key concepts Product marketing Pricing Distribution Service Retail Brand management Account-based marketing Ethics Effectiveness Research Segmentation Strategy Activation Management Dominance Marketing operations Promotional contents Advertising Branding Underwriting spot Direct marketing Personal sales Product placement Publicity Sales promotion Sex in advertising Loyalty marketing Mobile marketing Premiums Prizes Promotional media Printing Publication Broadcasting Out-of-home advertising Internet Point of sale Merchandise Digital marketing In-game advertising Product demonstration Word-of-mouth Brand ambassador Drip marketing Visual merchandising v t e Wikibooks has a book on the topic of:  Marketing Distribution channel redirects here. So does Channel (marketing). Product distribution  (or  place) is one of the four elements of the  marketing mix. Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user, using direct means, or using indirect means with  intermediaries. The other three parts of the  marketing mix  are  product,  pricing, and  promotion. Distribution is one of the classic 4 Ps of marketing (product, promotion, price, place a.k.a. distribution). Its a key element in your entire marketing strategy it helps you expand your reach and grow revenue. B2B and B2C companies can sell through a single channel or through multiple channels that may include: Wholesaler/Distributor Direct/Internet Direct/Catalog Direct/Sales Team Value-Added Reseller (VAR) Consultant Dealer Retail Sales Agent/Manufacturers Rep Contents   Ã‚  [hide]   1HYPERLINK #Channels_and_Intermediaries  HYPERLINK #Channels_and_IntermediariesChannels and Intermediaries 2HYPERLINK #Channel_Design  HYPERLINK #Channel_DesignChannel Design 3HYPERLINK #Distribution_Types  HYPERLINK #Distribution_TypesDistribution Types 4HYPERLINK #Channel_Mix  HYPERLINK #Channel_MixChannel Mix 5HYPERLINK #Managing_Channels  HYPERLINK #Managing_ChannelsManaging Channels 5.1HYPERLINK #Channel_Motivation  HYPERLINK #Channel_MotivationChannel Motivation 5.2HYPERLINK #Channel_Conflict  HYPERLINK #Channel_ConflictChannel Conflict 6HYPERLINK #See_also  HYPERLINK #See_alsoSee also 7HYPERLINK #References  HYPERLINK #ReferencesReferences 8HYPERLINK #Lin

Plasmodium falciparum: The Causative Agent of Malaria :: Essays Papers

Plasmodium falciparum: The Causative Agent of Malaria Introduction The protozoan Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for causing 500 million cases of malaria per year as well as 100-200 million deaths per year worldwide (Kuby, p438). The majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among malnourished children. Malaria is endemic in 92 countries, where 40% of the world’s population is at risk of the disease (WHO). Documentation of malaria occurs as far back as 4000BC, with mentions of the disease on clay tablets. The name of the disease originates from the late 1800’s and is derived from ‘mal aria,’ meaning bad air. There are four members of Plasmodium that cause malaria along with P. falciparum, with P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae (Schaechter, p450). P. falciparum is considered the most important as it is by far the most deadly species. The primary vector of P. falciparum is the female anopheline mosquito, which uses humans as a host for blood meals. The male anopheline feeds only on plant juices, and is not a competent vector for the disease. Humans compromise the only suitable reservoir in the enzootic cycle of the protozoa (Schaechter, p450). Both the P. falciparum and Anopheles gambiae genomic sequences have been recently published (Gardner et al. Holt et al. 2002), thus giving rise to invaluable tools in the development of new and much needed anti-malarial drugs and vaccines, as well as new targets in mosquito control. Encounter and Entry The female Anopheles interacts with the human host by piercing the host’s epithelium and releasing Plasmodium falciparum from its salivary glands into the human bloodstream while obtaining a blood meal. The form of P. falciparum injected into the human host is the sporozoite stage in the pathogen's life cycle (Kuby, Schaechter). As humans compromise the only competent reservoir for P. falciparum, the female Anopheles must have acquired the protozoan via blood meal from another infected human 9 to 17 days prior to being able to infect a new human host. Spread and Multiplication The sporozoites enter the human host and then travel via the bloodstream to the liver, where they enter liver cells and mature into schizonts after a period of 8-14 days. Sporozoites are covered with a 45-kDa protein called circumsporozoite which mediates adhesion to hepatocytes (Kuby, p439). Schizonts are released into the bloodstream as merozoites after a week, and are capable of entering and lysing erythrocytes and thus causing disease.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay -- essays research papers fc

Women, Courtly Love and the Creation Myth in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a great epic written in fourteenth century Europe by the Pearl poet, emphasizes the opposition of Christian love to Courtly love in the 13th century through the dilemma of Sir Gawain, one of the great knights of the Arthurian round table. By examining the women in the poem, Gawain's dilemma becomes a metaphor for the contrast of these two distinct types of love. The poem looks upon the Virgin Mary as the representative of spiritual love, obedience, chastity, and life (Warner 9). In contrast, Morgan le Fay and Bertilak's wife appear to be representing courtly love, disobedience, lust and death. This conflict between courtly love and spiritual love demonstrates the drastically weakened religious values behind chivalry. An interesting parallel to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the story of original sin in the Garden of Eden. Gawain's temptation correlates to the temptation of Adam, which is rooted in the sins of the flesh. The women in the story seem to accentuate the downfall of Gawain, which mirrors the downfall of Arthur's court, as well as man's fall from grace in the garden. Originally, the first duty of a knight was to be at the service of his church. However, with the rise of courtly love, knights began to give their devotion to their mistress rather than God. This elevated the church's mistrust of women and the flesh. The characterization of Bertilak's wife is not unlike that of Eve, a temptress who would bring both happiness and despair to her man. One interesting twist to this story is that, like courtly love, possession of power seems to be shifted into the hands of the women. The wife of Bertilak operates unassisted against Gawain in the bedroom as the hunter and the aggressor. The great feminine power in the story, however, comes from Morgan le Fay, the evil stepsister of Arthur. She is strong enough to move into Bertilak's castle, turn him green and order him to walk and talk with a severed head. The Virgin Mary also plays a prominent role in the tale. It seems as if Mary and Gawain have a relationship based on a special untainted Christian love. That Gawain is Mary's knight is made clear in the scene where he is robed for battle. 'That all h... ...t. The women in this tale serve as a medium for comparing the spiritual journey of Sir Gawain to the creation myth. With Mary as a symbol of perfection and Lady Bertilak as an Eve-like symbol of temptation, the fact that he is torn between them displays his humanness just as Adam was torn between the word of God and the love of Eve. In this case, Morgan le Fay would probably be considered the serpent in the garden, the instigator of the conflict in the story. Because of the story of Eve, women were frequently looked upon in medieval times as cunning, untrustworthy and generally evil. Women in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are looked upon with the male concept that flesh is evil and will lead to man's downfall, which is highlighted by the contrast of Courtly love to Christian love. Works Cited Abrams, M.H. 'The Norton Anthology of English Literature.'; New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1993. De Roo, Harvey. "Undressing Lady Bertilak: Guilt and Denial in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Chaucer Review 27 (1993): 305-24. Warner, Marina. 'Alone of all Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary';. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1976.

Influential Characters in The Trial and The Stranger :: essays research papers

Influential Characters 'The Trial' and 'The Stranger': How one character can influence the life of another character. The Trial and The Stranger were both critically acclaimed since their published debut, though the books have their many differences they both deal with imprisoned lives going against society. In both novels K and Meursault had characters that influenced them in a negative and positive way, although none these characters had as much influence as the religious figure (the priests) did in both novels. However the priests in each novel influenced the protagonists differently. In The Stranger the chaplain is sent to Meursault before he is faced with his death sentence to have him repent for his sins and change his religious beliefs, in other words, covert him to Christianity. However Meursault stands strong and tells him that he has nothing to repent, for he has not sinned. He does not belief in God and he believes that he is already receiving his punishment, there is no afterlife or higher judgment in Meursaults? beliefs. The chaplain is able to change Meursault?s mind, when he mentions ?how even the hardest of criminals stare at something at one pointing their lives and imagine a divine face in it? (Stranger, p.121). Although Meursault does not see a divine face he sees the face of Marie. This marks the turning point of Meursault?s life, for he starts to care for life something he has never done before. He is now aggravated to know that is going to die and cannot accept that which explains his rage with the priest. Camus? creates characters such as Meursault and the chaplain to contrast each other. Meursault represents an outsider and shows how life is, society does not accept those who do not act as expected even if it means that they would have to bend the truth or hurt others in the process. The idea that Meursault does not care of his death sentence, as he shows little or no emotion of his mother?s death or of Marie proposing matrimony to him was of course is completely against the rules and ethics of society. Consequently he creates the chaplain to show Meursault how society expects him to behave, implementing the chaplain in the novel demonstrates how society acts upon those who do not meet the expected behaviors by society, it tries to change or covert them to the norms of society.

B&Q Case Study

Contents Executive Summary3 1. TASK ONE4 1. 1 Introduction4 1. 2 Possession and practice4 3. 3 B&Q case5 3. TASK TWO8 3. 1 Introduction8 3. 2 Time distance9 3. 3 Technological distance10 3. 4 Social distance10 3. 5 Cultural distance11 4. Bibliography13 Executive Summary In a modernized and globalized world, knowledge creation and synergization of knowledge in an organization is truly crucial.As data and information are readily available, and information communication technology (ICT) has highly advanced, organizations such as B&Q need to understand how knowledge creation can assist to improve internal and external processes and also encourage innovation. In task one, the aim is to differentiate between possession of knowledge and practice of knowledge and examine which epistemology B&Q uses throughout their supply chain. B&Q uses possession knowledge whereby it provides all their vendors with a code of conduct guidelines which they need to follow through.However, in the face of risk and uncertainty in an economic crisis, B&Q should adopt practice of knowledge and enabling people to do differently and better. In task two, the statement by Stoneman (2010) means that trust and power are the main factors that drive product, process and organizational innovation. For B&Q, due to their power as the distributor, they are able to develop and lay down the process and procedures that all their vendors need to adhere to. However, in an economic crisis, its regimental practice may ot work as uncertainty disrupts the flow of the procedures. 1. TASK ONE 1. 1 Introduction The studies on knowledge and its characteristics have long been explored and discussed in the business and supply chain world. With the emergent of technology and innovation, the possession and practice of knowledge has become more essential in this â€Å"knowledge society† (Nonaka, 1994; Bell, 1973; Drucker, 1968; Toffler, 1990). But what is knowledge and how does an organization activate and generat e knowledge?Knowledge is defined as â€Å"awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning† (knowledge, n. d) which are the ways people in a social situations would understand and make sense of where they are and what they are doing. When knowledge is conducted and embraced in an organization, it will result to a group of people who develop shared beliefs, behaviours and routines that shape organization capabilities. Experts such as Polanyi (1966), Nonaka (1994) and Cook and Brown (1999) divide knowledge into two categories called tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge.Tacit knowledge is associated with the skills or know-how that people developed through their own experience in specific contexts. Whereas explicit knowledge is something that has been codified, written down or spelled out and is communicable across context. 1. 2 Possession and practice From the word possession itself, one can understand that it is about the knowledge that people have i n their mind (Cook and Brown, 1999). Blackler (1995), and Cook and Brown (1999) refer possesion of knowledge as â€Å"knowledge† and practice of knowledge as â€Å"knowing†.Knowledge is a mental or cognitive capacity which is hierarchical in nature and comprises of data, information etc. moreover, possession of knowledge is a personal property where people render meaning from subjective experiences, perceptions and previous understanding. As human minds are individually unique, hence different people may perceive and intepret the same information or data differently. Meanwhile, practice of knowledge sees knowledge as something that it developed through social interaction such as project work, group assignment or group discussion.When people practice knowledge, they convert tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus transferring knowledge from one person to another. This is done through sharing stories, experiences or creating norms to a group of people hence enablin g the experience of an individual to be related to a wider community. 3. 3 B&Q case B&Q plc works with many vendors such as Kingfisher Asia (KAL) who supply products to B&Q. Hence to manage their vendors and ensure processes and procedures are followed, B&Q come up with code of conduct (B&Q Operational Standards for Supply Chains) for all their vendors.The code of conduct is based on the international labour and envirnmental standards set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions which factories and worksites of all vendors throughout the world need to comply to. In summary, vendors need to let B&Q have full visibility of the enitre supply chain and fulfill and obey the code of conduct criteria at all facilities. Any failure to meet the nine Critical Failure Points (CFPs) will result in B&Q not buying or purchasing their products.Through this code of conduct, we can deduce that B&Q adopts a possession of knowledge rather than practice of knowledge. B&Q receives know ledge about labour and environmental guidelines from ILO conventions and uses the basic context to write down or capture in an information technology (IT) system which is then made available as an organizational resource – B&Q Operational Standards for Supply Chains. This is in contrast of having a group discussion with the vendors and seeking their opinions and views on how to create a better working environment for the workers (practice of knowledge).For example, Baer (1987) and Abbott (1988) explained that in order to defend their position, occupational groups such as doctors would write down or ‘black box’ their skills and knowledge which is then used by others as guidelines or instructions to follow. B&Q is following the same concept as they wish to guard their position as a responsible organization or employer where the rights of all workers throughout the world are respected and protected. Thus, this results to an encoded knowledge (Blackler, 1995) for the vendors as information is transmited through the code of conduct.Unlike an individual or specialist ‘black box’, the construction of the code of conduct requires the involvement of a group of people. This method of knowledge creation follows Nonaka’s SECI framework where it is a spiralling process of interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge (Nonaka,1994; Nonaka & Toyama, 2003). The SECI framework consists of four knowledge conversion processes; Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization; which can be seen in Figure 1. The breakdown for B&Q case is as follow: 1.Socialization – The ILO standards which was made known to the B&Q management assist them to create their own knowledge or set of standards which vendors are to adhere. 2. Externalization – B&Q management then decides to have their on set of guidelines in accordance to ILO standards and form a group to write down the code of conduct. 3. Combination – We beli eved that during the process of writing down the code of conduct, B&Q managerial level will each provide inputs and opinions based on the organization’s mission and values on what and how to write down.Once drafted, the Head of Human Resource Department will read it through and request for any necessary adjustments. Once finalized, the Chairman or Head of B&Q will give the approval to codified and disseminate the code of conduct to all the vendors. 4. Internalization – Vendors will then read the instructions and ensure all CFPs are met. For any areas which fail to comply, site management of the vendors will then follow the guidelines to make changes and improvements. Figure 1: SECI model of knowledge creation Source: Nonaka & Toyama (2003)However, Nonaka SECI framework downplays the difference of interest, power and political dynamics which people and organizations face everyday. Thus, during an economic crisis, B&Q may approach innovation differently due to the uncert ainty and adversity faced in a crisis. According to Tsoukas (1996) and Schauer (1991), even though organizations can make assumptions and obtain knowledge from previous economic crisis where similar conditions are seen, the formulate strategy may not work perfectly according to what the organizations believed as there are still uncertainty.Meaning to say, a strategy used in a crisis five years ago may not generate the same result due to the difference in technology, people’s mindset and other relating conditions. B&Q need to adopt practice of knowledge during a crisis as information may not be readily available since people and other organizations are wary and may not disclose essential information in order to survive the crisis. With competition between rival organizations getting tougher, B&Q needs to learn, practice and embodied skills and knowledge which increases their chance of survival (Barnett & Burgelman, 1996).As mentioned by Hitt et al (2007), a multilevel research approach to encourage employees to have better understanding of the strategy implemented by B&Q management. Hence, B&Q through providing an enabling context, B&Q allow its employees to do things differently and better. For example, when selecting their vendors, B&Q can not just rely on which vendor is able to adhere to its code of conduct. B&Q also need to look into the pricing, capability and other characteristic of the particular vendor.B&Q vendor management team need to have further dicussion with sales, procurement and operations team to gain their opinions and views on which vendors to select. With the current vendors, B&Q need to adopt open communication and discuss with them on how the crisis is affecting their perfomance and compliance towards the code of conduct. Another example is due to the crisis, a vendor had to lay off several staff and workers due reducing their headcount. Hence in order to meet B&Q rders, the vendor’s workers may need to work extra hours whic h is over the local law. Through discussion, B&Q may allow the vendor to carry out the new process until the economy stablize and the vendor is able to employ more workers. 3. TASK TWO 3. 1 Introduction Stoneman (2010) mentioned that â€Å"product, process and organizational innovation are socially and politically mediated processes†. This means that through social relationship and even political standing in an organization; product, process and organizational innovation are being conceptualized.Jackson (2001) noted that the real-world issues and situations do not match up to traditional disciplinary boundaries due to the inequality in the capitalist world. Therefore, trust and power play an essential role in the development of knowledge and innovation. Internally at B&Q, their managers may see themselves as the authority towards process and organizational innovation. For example, a manager has the power to decide on how his department should be run in order to meet the depar tment and organization goals.And through his relationship and interaction with the staffs, he may perceive a staff as capable if able to follow the process and excel in it. Hence, to gain trust and acknowledgement, employees compete and motivate each other to do better at what they do and also provide suggestions to the manager on improving certain situations or issues. As highlighted by Hardy and Dougherty (1997), depending on the organization’s culture and its board of management, resource power and process power can either work against or aligned with innovation.However, without meaning and a direction to support the need for innovation, people will notbe motivated to innovate. For example, the warehousing staffs at B&Q may face difficulties in picking the correct product. Thus, with its power, the warehouse manager can arrange a group discussion with the warehousing team leaders and their IT department to create a new process whereby the product are bar-coded and connecte d to a system which will provide the product information when it is scanned.Externally, when working with their supply chain members such as customers and suppliers, B&Q managers can use either its power or trust to ensure compliance are met by the suppliers and customers continue to purchase from B&Q. For example, the board of management has the authority to continue or discontinue the services of a vendor depending on its compliance and performance. However, during an economic crisis where risk and uncertainty are faced, B&Q managers may react to similar situation or innovation differently.B&Q decisions on innovation, processes and products are affected by four types of distance – time, technological, social and cultural. 3. 2 Time distance Due to the changes in time, environment and conditions, certain processes or procedures that B&Q managers created may not be applicable in an economic crisis. Moreover, the decisions B&Q managers made in a previous crisis are also not ap plicable even though the conditions are similar because there is still uncertainty whether the outcome would be the same.The finance department will be more guarded on the expenses and budget thus setting a more thorough process of other departments to ensure waste are minimized and costs are low. In a study done by Hardy and Dougherty (1997), innovators or managers in an anti-innovation environment would solve their problems through methods and ways which hamper innovation whereas in a pro-innovation environment, innovators are able to incorporate the organization’s resources, processes and meaning to develop an more suitable and effective product.Thus, in relation to the crisis, B&Q managers may tackle a deparment issue by pushing away the problematic function and work its way around it. 3. 3 Technological distance As ICT becomes highly advanced, B&Q need to be selective of the information and tacit knowledge that is available widely. This is because not all tacit knowledge is applicable to B&Q’s strategy and that an overflow of information will result to overloading and poor decision making. Through market and technology knowledge, innovators are able to examine problems, communicate and collaboratively develop new products for the organization (Dougherty et al, 2000).However, in an economic crisis, technology knowledge that is necessary for innovation may not be readily available or cost effective to the organization. Faced with uncertainty, B&Q board of management may decide to take on a survival mode concept and develop process such as budget control to restrict unnecessary cost and waste. Thus, if an innovator in B&Q requires a certain technology to assist in its development of new product, he need to go through many levels of strict procedures in order to attain approval. 3. 4 Social distanceDuring an economic crisis, organizations face many problems and situations as they try their hardest to survive and go through the crisis without a m ajor disruption or impact. Due to the uncertainty and risk, managers need to respond quickly and effectively. Even in a crisis, Jackson (2006) noted that managers need to ensure their processes are efficient and effective, staffs are motivated and knowledge is created and enhanced. This is to ensure that the organization is constantly better than their rivals thus surviving the crisis.While ICT and innovation should still move on in a crisis; being a regimental organization; B&Q managers follow routine and have the power to make innovation unlawful through rewarding short-term results, punishing mistakes and even not rendering the support needed for innovation (Hardy & Dougherty, 1997). Not only does this kills innovation in B&Q, the staff would also be less motivate to innovate as they unable to relate a specific project with B&Q’s strategy (Van de Ven and Polley, 1992; Hardy and Dougherty, 1997; Dougherty & Heller, 1994).Hence, B&Q board of management need to re-evaluate it s organization strategy and procedures if it wishes to maintain in the industry. Jackson (2006) suggest organizations to adopt creative holism which is a set of guidelines that are multi-paradigm, multi-methodology and multi-method in nature. Through holism, organizatons look at the situation at a macro and organizational level, thus assuring that the departments are connected and performing together as a whole.Dougherty et al (2000) explained that since organizational knowledge and learning involves many different processes, a focal point or objevtive is essential to ensure one is taking the right path. Pelz and Andrews (1966) recognized that the efforts to combine and link market and technology knowledge across and throughout the organization is often met and filled with tensions. Thus, B&Q need to incorporate these two factor and be less rigid if it wishes to produce and gain new ideas, products and processes (Weick and Westley, 1996). 3. 5 Cultural distanceKingfisher plc, the pa rent company of B&Q, is a United Kingdom (UK) based retailer that offers do-it-yourself (DIY), home decorations and home improvement products to their 6 million customers (Kingfisher, 2012). To meet their international market and demand, Kingfisher plc has overseas sourcing offices in India and Poland that act as a supplier to B&Q. To ensure these strategies and structure is maintain in other country, Kingfisher plc has to train its overseas employees, make them understand and cultivate the Kingfisher plc working culture.However, this will be a tough challenge for example, in India due to the poor education and different socio-culture. Thus, Kingfisher plc needs to accommodate its Western working culture with India working culture, but without losing its main mission and strategy. To ensure this is executed properly, Kingfisher plc needs to obtain a specialist in the Indian market and culture. An economic crisis affects countries differently, depending on where the crisis originates .However, due to globalization, a crisis in the European Union (EU) nations will have a ripple effect, thus affecting neighbouring countries and countries that depend on the EU economy and market. Likewise, if an economic crisis hits India where one of B&Q suppliers is located at, B&Q need to gather information and data from news reports and the India supplier’s representative, and analyse the data before making a decision on how to overcome the crisis and what B&Q should do to ensure that the crisis in India do not disrupt the entire supply chain.To ensure accurate and timely information and knowledge is recevied, Swan and Scarbrough (2005) suggest organizations to adopt a networked innovation process where the innovation procedures is collaborated in the network arrangements within and between organizations (Alter & Hage, 1993; Owen-Smith & Powell, 2004; Powell et al, 1996). B&Q needs to view networks as a means of communication where knowledge and information are dissemina ted (Swan & Scarbrough, 2005) and thus, adopting a open sharing concept where individuals and groups are allow to interact and exchange knowledge and information. 4. Bibliography Abbott, A. 1988). The system of professions: An essay on the division of expert labour. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Alter, C. , & Hage, J. (1993). Organizations working together. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Baer, W. (1987). Expertise and professional standards. Work and Occupations, 13, 532-522. Barnett, W. P. , & Burgelman, R. A. (1996). Evolutionary Perspectives on Strategy. Strategic management journal, 17, 5-19. Bell, D. (1973). The Coming of Post-industrial Society: A Venture Social Forecasting. New York: Basic Books. Blackler, F. (1995). Knowledge, knowledge work and organizations: An overview and interpretation.Organization studies, 16(6), 1021-1046. Cook, S. D. , & Brown, J. S. (1999). Bridging Epistemologies: The Generative Dance Between Organizational Knowledge and Organizational Knowing. Or ganization Science, 10(4), 381-400. Dougherty, D. , & Heller, T. (1994). The illegitimacy of successful new products in large firms. Organization Science, 5, 200-218. Dougherty, D. , Borrelli, L. , Munir, K. , & O’Sullivan, A. (2000). Systems of organizational sensemaking for sustained product innovation. Journal of engineering and technology management, 17, 321-355. Drucker, P. (1968). The Age of Discontinuity: Guidelines to Our Changing Society.New York: Harper & Row. Hardy, C. , & Dougherty, D. (1997). Powering Product Innovation. European Management ]ournal, 15(1), 16-27. Hitt, M. A. , Beamish, P. W. , Jackson, S. E. , & Mathieu, J. E. (2007). Building Theoretical and Empirical Bridges Across Levels: Multilevel Research in Management. Academy of Management Journal, 50(6), 1385-1399. Jackson, M. C. (2001). Critical systems thinking and practice. European Journal of Operational Research, 128, 233-244. Jackson, M. C. (2006). Creative Holism: A Critical Systems Approach to Co mplex Problem Situations. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 23, 647-657.Kingfisher. (2012). About us. Retrieved from Kingfisher plc web site: http://www. kingfisher. com/index. asp? pageid=176 knowledge. (n. d). Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Harper Collins Publishers. Retrieved November 25, 2012, from Dictionary. com: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/knowledge Nonaka, I. (1994, February). A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation. Organization Science, 5(1), 14-37. Nonaka, I. , & Toyama, R. (2003). The knowledge-creating theory revisited: knowledge creation as a synthesizing process. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 1, 2-10.Owen-Smith, J. , & Powell, W. W. (2004). Knowledge networks as channels and conduits: The effects of spillovers in the Boston biotechnology community. Organization Science, 15(1), 5-22. Pelz, D. , & Andrews, F. (1966). Scientists in Organizations. New York: Wiley. plc, K. (2012). About us. Retrieved from Kingfisher plc web site: http://www. kingfisher. com/index. asp? pageid=176 Polanyi, M. (1966). The Tacit Dimension. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Powell, W. , Koput, K. , & Smith-Doerr, L. (1996). Interorganizational collaboration and the locus of innovation: Networks of learning in biotechnology.Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 116-145. Schauer, F. (1991). Playing by the rules. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Swan, J. , & Scarbrough, H. (2005). The politics of networked innovation. Human Relations, 58(7), 913–943. Toffler, A. (1990). Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of 2lst Century. New York: Bantam Books. Tsoukas, H. (1996). The firm as a distributed knowledge system: A constructionist approach. Strategic management journal, 17, 11-25. Van de Ven, A. , & Polley, D. (1992). Learning while innovating. Organization Science, 3, 92-116. Weick, K. ,

Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase Experiment

The experiment by Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase used bacteriophages, or viruses that contaminate bacteria and radioisotopes. Hershey and Chase already knew that viruses were composed mainly of DNA and protein; however, they did not know if DNA or protein was the genetic material. Hershey and Chase used radioisotopes to mark the DNA and protein. They used the radioactive isotopes phosphorus and sulfur because DNA contains phosphorus and proteins contain sulfur. Using these radioactive isotopes gave them the ability to distinguish between the DNA and the protein.They rationalized that if they allowed ample time for a bacteriophage to contaminate a bacterial cell that the genetic material would be discovered in the bacterial cell after the contamination. After allowing bacteriophages to infect the bacterial cells, they noticed that the radioactively labeled DNA was found inside the bacterial cell, and that the radioactively labeled protein was found outside of the bacterial cell. Hers hey and Chase concluded that DNA was the genetic material that was introduced to the bacteria during contamination by a bacteriophage.Griffith worked with two different strains of Streptococcus pneumonia, a type S strain, and a type R strain. Type S bacteria were characterized by the existence of a polysaccharide, which allowed them to evade being attacked by the host cell's immune system; however, type R bacteria did not have such a polysaccharide capsule. Griffith injected type S bacteria into the mice. Due to the existence of the polysaccharide capsule, the type S bacteria were able to thrive in the mouse's blood stream. Therefore, the mouse died. Afterwards, Griffith injected type R bacteria into mice.Type R bacteria did not have the polysaccharide capsule so they were not able to elude the defenses by the host cell's immune system. Consequentially, the mouse still survived because the bacteria were destroyed by the immune system. Next, Griffith added the heat-killed type S bact eria into the mice. The bacteria were heat-killed preceding the injection into the mouse so the mouse survived. Finally, Griffith injected living type R bacteria and heat-killed type S bacteria into the mouse. Griffith discovered that the mouse died.He concluded that the living type R bacteria were altered into the type S strain. Evidently, the type R bacteria had developed genetic material from the heat-killed type S bacteria; however, Griffith did not know what the genetic material was. Meselson and Stahl conducted experiments to determine whether or not DNA followed the semiconservative, conservative, or dispersive model of replication. The semiconservative model states that the two daughter molecules each consist of one old strand, from the parent, and one newly constructed strand.This is the model that is currently accepted. The conservative model states that the parent molecule is preserved after DNA replication. Lastly, the dispersive model states that each of the four strand s has a mixture of old and new DNA after replication. Meselson and Stahl’s experiments involved radioisotopes. They cultivated bacteria into a medium containing nucleotide precursors marked with Nitrogen-15. The bacteria combined the Nitrogen-15 into their DNA. The bacteria were then moved into a medium containing Nitrogen-14.Any recently made DNA would appear lighter than the parental DNA made in the medium containing Nitrogen-15. The contents of the container were positioned into two separate tubes and centrifuged. One tube was centrifuged for 20 minutes and the other tube was centrifuged for 40 minutes. The first round of replication in the Nitrogen-14 medium produced hybrid DNA, which disregarded the conservative model. The second round of replication in the Nitrogen-14 medium produced both light and hybrid DNA. This rejected the dispersive model and reinforced the semiconservative model.

Academic Honors and Extracurricular Achievements Essay

I have always prided myself as being hard working, responsible, and committed to every endeavor I pursue. Over the past four years I have made the honor roll at my high school (by maintaining a GPA of 92 or higher). In my junior year, I was invited to participate in the National Student Leadership Conference, was inducted into the Asterean Chapter of the National Honors Society, and inducted into the Business and Marketing Honors Society of New York State. I have also been given the 3R’s Award, presented to me by my high school, for recognition of â€Å"Outstanding Reason, Respect and Responsibility.† I am an active member of student government, as well as an officer for several clubs and extracurricular activities. Since my freshman year, I have been a cheerleader at my high school. I have participated in both Sports Night and Pep Rally Night Dance teams, of which I was captain. Being a dancer for 11 years, it was gratifying to know that I had been given the opportunity in my school environment to share this passion with my peers. My involvement in the Italian club has had the most meaning for me. I am passionate about this language, which I have been studying for the past two years. I have been an elected officer of the club since my sophomore year. Through my roles as treasurer in grade ten and secretary in grade eleven, I have developed leadership skills and have greatly enhanced my public speaking abilities. I am currently president of the club and meet with my advisor several times a week prior to meetings to discuss future agendas. I have organized cultural parties, compiled a cookbook with recipes for traditional Italian meals, coordinated fundraisers, and helped my advisor plan our school’s exchange program to Italy this past February. Last year I organized the club’s fundraiser for Italian-American firefighters who were injured in 9/11 and I also made arrangements with my advisor to visit a local Senior Center. At the center, we sang songs with the senior citizens and brought our favorite Italian dishes to share with them. I am also very interested in government.