Civil Engineering Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Civil Engineering Contract - Essay Example A hard worker and someone who is always striving to improve himself, I want to be of value to the organization I choose to work for and prove that I am an asset worth investing in. Accordingly, I am greatly interested in contractual matters since they form the basis of any commercial or professional partnership. I am also greatly interested in risk management, cost escalation, and conflict resolution. As a civil engineer, I would like to go beyond the developmental parameters of a given project and ensure that the projects I undertake proceed smoothly. I feel passionate about this career and also want to be a part of the decision makers within my organization. Eventually, I hope to be a Senior Contract Manager and believe that a specialization in civil engineering contracts will give me the tools I need to attain this goal. As a Senior Contract Manager, I hope to be able to take a holistic approach to project management and understand the various dynamics at play. I believe that this requires not only technical insight but also a firm understanding and appreciation of contractual matters. My interest in risk management, risk mitigation, and conflict resolution demonstrate my passion in this particular field. This is why I have chosen to be an expert on the contractual negotiations of civil engineering. Loyalty: I am an incredibly loyal person and dedicated employee. When I believe in something, I stick to it. For me, my loyalty to an organization does not waiver and I put the interests of my company at the forefront. I am pleased to report that loyalty is one of my biggest strengths and is something that I take with me wherever I go. People Skills: I have excellent communication and human interaction skills.  

Experimental Design and Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Experimental Design and Analysis - Coursework Example In the light of these results how could you improve the experiment? The experiment was done such that it was intended to find out the degree of adhesity of different types of plasters. There were 4 plasters tested, namely, A, B, C and D. each of these have a different degree of being adhesive and this is what the experiment was set out to establish. In that respect, the experiment was founded upon the concept that depending on the degree of adhesiveness of a plaster, it gets to pull out different numbers of hair from the skin of an individual. This is the attribute that was used to design the experiment and it led to a remarkable result that is indeed plausible. Different people were used in the experiment in an effort to ascertain the results. The human skin is made up of some hair particles that can come out readily in the event that the skin is subjected to the throngs of a plaster that has adequate level of adhesive strength. As such, the different plasters were glued on the skin of an individual one after the other. Starting with the plaster A, on to B, then C and finally D, the plasters were stuck on the skin of an individual. In each case, the plasters were pulled out in a half and an observation made on the effect that the plaster had on the skin. Each of the plasters was observed to have a different effect on the skin of an individual. It was made sure that the portion of the skin where the plaster was suck had hair and in that regard the effect on the hair was observed. Some of the plasters had the effect of pulling out fewer hair particles than others. The number of hair hat was pulled out by each of the plasters was then counted. This was recorded against the plaster type for each individual. Different instances of the experiment were conducted such that for each instance, different numbers of individuals took part in the experiment. In most of the instances, there was just one individual taking part in the experiment and in that respect different

Development of Nursing Skills in Oral Care Placement

Development of Nursing Skills in Oral Care Placement INTRODUCTION This essay is going to focus on the nursing skills that I developed during a period of placement simulations and in the community, placing emphasis on oral care, communication and bed bath. It will outline the fundamental aspects of clinical nursing skills that I have begun to acquire. This will also highlight the learning processes which took place and how it helped me to enhance my knowledge, and ethical values in order to deliver quality and safety of care. Using other sources of current literature, I will use a reflective model to discuss how I have achieved the necessary level of learning outcome. By utilising this model I hope to demonstrate my knowledge and understanding in relation to these skills as well as identifying areas with scope for learning. Reflection is the process of reviewing an experience in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice (Reid 1993). There are many reflective models that I could have used, including Johns (2004), Driscoll (2000), Atkins and Murphy (1994), Kolbs (1984), and Gibbs (1988). However, Gibbs (1988) model of reflection was selected, as a framework, because it focuses on different aspects of an experience and allows the learner to revisit the event fully. By contemplating it thus, I am able to appreciate it and guided to where future development work is required. Skill 1: Oral Care Description I was part of a placement simulation group which went to the multi-skills laboratory to practice delivering and receiving oral hygiene. I was assigned a colleague to brush his teeth using a toothbrush and paste. I put on gloves to prevent contamination (NICE 2003). Seeking his consent, I undertook a briefÂÂ  visual assessment ofÂÂ  his mouths health. I then put him in a comfortable position so that he could tolerate the wash. Thereafter, I cleaned all-round the mouth, gums and tongue. I finished off by helping him to rinse his mouth with mouthwash. I treatedÂÂ  my partner as though he was physically unable to hold the brush himselfÂÂ  to scrub his own teeth, but he was able to communicate with me and was able to assist me in terms of spitting and gargling with water at the end of the procedure. Feelings When first informed that I was expected to undertake this task I felt anxious and concerned. I was aware that I had not brushed anyones teeth outside of my family before and that the mouth is an intimate and personal part of the body which is not usually exposed to anyone other than me or the dentist. I was concerned about how my partner (whom I did not know well at that stage) would react to me examining his mouth. Writers have described such intimate physical assessments as creating a potentially intrusive situation (Lewis 2006, Sturdy 2007) which might cause the patient to feel uncertain and inadequate. I was also concerned that my own anxiety was shared by my partner who also appeared embarrassed and awkward at the time. This anxiety was increased when during the procedure my partner began to cough as though distressed. This caused me to feel hesitant about continuing- a situation recognised by Millon (1994) as a common response for carers to such an experience, although I persevered with his cooperation. When the task was completed I felt comfortable with my performance overall. Evaluation What was good about the experience was that, despite being aware that this role is often delegated to health care assistants (Kelly et al 2010), I was able to deliver a fundamental component of essential nursing care (Essence of Care 2003) quite effectively. The experience helped me to appreciate that oral care provides any nurse with an ideal opportunity to undertake a thorough physical, emotional and cognitive assessment of a patient (DOH, 2001). I was satisfied delivering this aspect of care without harming the patient as no injuries were sustained (having I checked his mouth prior to and after cleansing). Also, I was pleased to have an opportunity to improve my communication skills through the delivery of this skill and to understand the impact that this might have on the development of a therapeutic relationship with future patients. From my colleagues reaction and feedback, I understood how feedback is an important learning tool. Despite my discomfort during the undertaking of this task, the experience highlighted the potentially complex problems I might have to solve in the provision of care needs to patients for whom I may not have had contact with before. Analysis Administration of this clinical skill involved undertaking an assessment of my colleagues mouth before delivering any care in order to help determine the most appropriate means of delivering oral care. Malkin (2009) asserts that this is a critical component of the procedure and was one I was keen not to overlook. The World Health Organisation (WHO 2010) describes a healthy mouth as being free of chronic mouth and facial pain and in the situation described; this is the condition I found my partners mouth to be in. I was therefore happy to proceed with cleaning his teeth as instructed. I selected to use a soft bristled toothbrush and toothpaste. The use of these adjuncts are described by many writers as being the most appropriate in terms of removing plaque and preventing trauma to the gums (Holman et al 2005,McCauliffe 2007).Despite this it has been identified that they are also most often not selected by nurses who appear uncertain about most effective evidence based practice ( McAul iffe 2007). Conclusion Clearly, mouth care is important and that, nurses have a role in assessing and maintaining it (Malkin, 2009).The task identified the role of the nurse in providing encouragement to the patient whilst delivering oral care. His weakness created a sense of dependency upon me and necessitated the utilisation of good communications skills on my part to complete the task properly. It has raised my awareness the effects of nursing interventions on others within my practice. Action Plan At the moment, I read more books a day than practice. My aim is to be proactive in the future by promptly opening up through total participation and doing more practices by brushing my teeth on regular basis. I would consider brushing others also and allowing them to brush mine in order to become familiar with areas that are often not well attended to. Keeping up to date with evidence based principles of practice will be maintained through the scrutiny of journals that refer to this aspect of care. I will take care to remember my feelings when providing and receiving oral hygiene before delivering it to patients in the future. Recognising the potential for embarrassment and awkwardness I will ensure that I treat the patient with sensitivity and discretion at all times. Skill 2: Communication Skills Description I accompanied my mentor to attend to a consultation with R, in persuading him as a non-compliant patient, in taking his medication. He had refused to communicate with anyone, and had been violent and very suspicious of nursing interventions in the past. He would not open his door and started shouting. When he appeared quiet he let us in. I thought it would be nice for him to have some interaction after seeking his consent. I pulled up a chair next to my client so that I was closer to him and was at a similar eye level. I engaged him in a conversation about football. When I mentioned Arsenal, he became interested in the conversation. I realised he was a fan of the club and told me more about the club. I listened attentively, nodding and contributing. I ceased this as an opportunity to explain the need for taking medication and side effects of non-compliance. He understood and pledged to take his medication daily. He took some to our surprise. Feelings Throughout the whole experience I felt terribly nervous as I knew I was being judged on how well I could achieve the skill. My initial perception was that R was a difficult patient and considered withdrawing but I felt emotionally concerned about meeting a professional obligation. I understood that I owed him a duty of care (NMC, 2008) and simply withdrawing was not professional in my view. Evaluation I was pleased to have an opportunity to improve my communication skills through which, I was able to convince him in taking his medication without confrontation. It was good that I sat in the chair next to him and did not just stand over him to show I valued him and that I was not in a hurry. I used good body language and facial expressions as stated by Egan (2002). I understood the impact that this skill might have on the development of a therapeutic relationship with future patients. Ironbar et al (2003) stresses that, therapeutic relationships can be stressful. This requires insight, self-awareness and ability to cope effectively with stress. The downside was that the patient initially felt that I was being nasty as I was persistent in having him take the medicine. Also, I found it difficult to communicate with the patient initially because I did not understand his condition. Barker (2003) reports of how in recent times empathy has been shown to enable nurses to investigate and un derstand the experience of persons experiencing a state of chaos as a consequence of psychiatric order. Analysis There are many reasons why somebody may refuse to communicate. Wilkinson (1992) cited in (Kluijver et al, 2000) defined communication as an open two-way communication in which patients are informed about the nature of their disease and treatment and are encouraged to express their anxieties and emotions. Sheldon, (2009) expands this further by saying in nursing; communication is a sharing of health-related information between a patient and a nurse, with both participants as sources and receivers. The nature of health care demands expertise in interviewing, explaining, giving instructions and advising (Williams, 1997). In this instance, this was exactly what I did. The use of therapeutic communications in nursing, particularly empathy, is what enables therapeutic change and should not be underestimated (Norman and Ryrie, 2004). Egan (2002) argues that empathy is not just the ability to enter into and understand the world of another person but also be able to communicate this understan ding to him. Nurses should be aware that patients, who are paranoid and suspicious of staff interventions as was the case of patient R, might not readily accept support from staff. OCarroll et al (2007) contended that in our professional roles, nurses do not have the same option as we do in our personal life by withdrawing from difficult relationships. I began to feel tearful, but then quickly reminded myself that there must be a reasonable explanation for him refusing to communicate or cooperate with everyone. I felt my client needed a choice and giving him a choice will give him back some of his independence when he could be feeling helpless and vulnerable; and his self-esteem could be decreased (Child Higham, 2005) as his cooperation could be inhibited. The need to build therapeutic relationship with the patient is paramount in gaining trust and respect (Rigby and Alexander, 2008). McCabe (2004) argues that the use of effective interpersonal skills, a basic component of nursing, must be patient centred. If I had been tense and negative, my client would not have enjoyed the conversation and would have felt uncomfortable and rushed (Kozier, et al 2008). Conclusion Communication is without doubt the medium through which the nurse-patient relationship takes place. The skills of active listening and reflection promote better communication and encourage empathy building. Caring for acutely mentally unwell patients requires of the nurse sensitivity, conveying warmth and empathy. Engaging meaningfully and actively listening to patients makes them perceive the practice as valuing rather than punishing, therapeutic rather than custodial. Communicating with patients is in itself nursing and therefore should be encouraged at all levels of nursing care. I feel my caring skill went well, because we were both relaxed and comfortable. As no problems occurred, I would do most things the same again. Action plan My goal for the future is to develop my knowledge by reading about long term conditions like schizophrenia so as to give me insight into those conditions before administering care. If patients appear distressed, I would get other members of staff to help give reassurance to them. I will also use reflective discussions with mentors and peer groups about managing similar situations. Finally, I will be taking the initiative and not being timid about challenging situations- the more times I meet the challenge, the better equipped I become at learning to manage them. Skill 3: Bed Bath Description I was asked with a colleague to bath a dummy patient during a placement simulation. The procedure was outlined by the lecturer present. I prepared the trolley with soap, bowl of warm water, soap and towel.I explained why I was going to give him a bath and gained consent. I drew the curtains to maintain patients privacy and dignity at all times. I washed my hands, put on apron and gloves to prevent infection and contamination and bathed him all round (front, back and sides including crevasses and folds) using separate towel for the private area. I covered the patient with the bath blanket to prevent chilling for his comfort. Whilst carrying out the bed bath I assessed his skin condition for any sores or broken skin.I treated the patient as if confined to bed or he is too unwell to attend to his own hygiene needs but able to communicate with me and reassured him everything was alright. Feelings Before starting, I had many emotions running through me. I expressed that I did not have much confidence in performing the task. This was because I: (1) lacked experience, (2) was concerned that I would not perform to the patients expectations and (3) was still trying to adjust to the laboratory environment. I therefore felt embarrassed that my lack of confidence was so obvious to present lecturer and colleagues. I later felt calm but a little apprehensive due to this. Despite all these, I persevered and finished the task successfully. Evaluation What was good of this experience was that, I upheld the reputation of the profession by maintaining it (NMC, 2008) as I did not speak over the client nor did I ignore him at any point during the procedure The instructions about what I needed to do was clear and I understood it and this give him the utmost respect, comfort and safety. By washing my hands thoroughly before coming into contact with the patient, Pirie (2010) explains that micro-organisms are easily removed through the process of hand washing. With supervision and comments from the lecturer present, I completed the task without harming the patient. Thomas et al, (1997), explains that, supervision is an important development tool for all learners. What was not good about this experience was when I redressed the client without allowing the client to choose the dress which I will prevent happening again. Nurses are taught to include family members where possible, keeping them well informed constantly about the condition and health care which is taking place. This helps make families feel more comfortable and also enables them to gain a clear picture of what is going on. Again, the lecturer was concerned that I appeared to lack confidence, and explained that, being able to express opinions clearly and confidently was essential in my future career as a nurse. In the lecturers view, the only way to develop confidence was to participate regularly which Bulman Schutz (2008) confirms. Analysis Skin care is a fundamental aspect of basic nursing care, with the outcome of these interventions often used to gauge the quality of the care provided (Voegelli, 2010). . Bathing involves actions to keep the skin clean and is essential for healthy skin (Dougherty Lister 2008). There are essentially two bed bath options available for todays health professional. Option one is the traditional soap and water bed bath which is labour intensive. Option two is the use of pre-packaged specialist bed bath wipes that come already impregnated with skin-friendly cleansers and moisturizers (Massa, 2010). Bathing is an intimate activity which requires physical assessment. Writers have described such intimate physical assessments as creating a potentially intrusive situation (Lewis 2006, Sturdy 2007) which might cause the patient to feel uncertain and inadequate. I was prepared not to overlook this area. The use of curtains and screens helped maintain the persons dignity and self-esteem (Child Higham, 2005). Despite this, dignity is seldom defined and there are few guidelines that nurses may use in their practice to safeguard individual patients dignity (Dignity in care (DOH 2006).It is true that healthcare assistants and auxiliaries can perform bed bathing and attend to patients hygiene needs; there are also important roles for the registered nurse, as it is often during the bathing of a patient that the nurse/patient relationship develops (Downey et al, 2008). In addition, the observation of a patient during the process of bathing provides excellent opportunities to make more detailed assessment and observation of the patients condition and progress (Pegram et al 2007). Conclusion Without doubt, provision of bed bath clients is to promote personal hygiene and to give them a sense of well-being and allows the caregivers to monitor changes in the clients skin condition (Evans, 2001). My reflective experience was very basic although a lot of the experience was preparation, planning and assessing which prevented the experience from going badly in anyway. I will also ask if they want to brush their teeth so that they feel more comfortable and also help prevent dental decay or any sores from developing around the gums. I now feel confident and comfortable enough to assist bathing people. Action plan If a situation like this was to arise again I think I would like to try to take out more time to talk to the client about how they are feeling and involve him at every stage of the activity. I also feel that it is important for me to work alongside more experienced members of staff to be able to learn more whilst on my placements. I think it is worth highlighting that as this procedure was carried out on a manikin, it did not reflect proper nurse / patient interaction and that I will now need to try and develop this skill and what I have learned from it to the wider clinical context when assisting patients who really do need help meeting their hygiene needs. I have learned something about giving the patients choice but it really wont be until I apply this skill into practice that I will receive feedback about how effective Ive undertaken the task, from the person that really matters or is in the best place to help me evaluate my actions, that person being the patient. CONCLUSION Administering oral hygiene, bed bathing and how these are combined with care, compassion and communication forms the basis of a holistic approach to care, and with the knowledge I got from supporting literature formed the foundation of my learning and practice. This experience has undoubtedly enhanced my critical thinking as a nurse and prepared me to move forward in my development and practice as a caring and competent nurse. I see myself as being in the right job which offers many opportunities for development and to improve upon my knowledge and skills. I have clearly demonstrated that by using a reflective model as a guide I have been able to break down, make sense of, and learnt from my experience during my placements In spite of above, the processes of learning I went through are more complex than Gibbs suggests. It is not as cyclical as this model implies and I found myself jumping or combining some stages, before coming back. However, it has taken me out of my comfort zone, challenging my thinking.

The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Essay -- Slaughterhouse-Five

The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Many writers in history have written science fiction novels and had great success with them, but only a few have been as enduring over time as Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five is a personal novel which draws upon Vonnegut's experience's as a scout in World War Two, his capture and becoming a prisoner of war, and his witnessing of the fire bombing of Dresden in February of 1945 (the greatest man-caused massacre in history). The novel is about the life and times of a World War Two veteran named Billy Pilgrim. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses structure and point of view to portray the theme that time is relative. The way Kurt Vonnegut structures Slaughterhouse-Five aids in the portrayal of the theme that time is relative. The novel is broke down into two parts: Vonnegut's story about the novel and the life story of Billy Pilgrim. The life story of Billy Pilgrim which is "presented as a series of episodes with no chronological order" . This mirrors the structure of the novel which has a beginning, middle, and end but not in there respective places. (Dawley 1) Billy states numerous times in the novel that he has become "unstuck in time" and that the time travel periods "aren't necessarily fun". (Vonnegut 23) While the reader never leaves the main plot line of the fire-bombing of Dresden for very long, Billy still travels alot. Billy "has seen his birth and death many times" and "all the events in between". (Vonnegut 23) The reader learns that "the things Billy Pilgrim" cannot change are "the past, the present, and the future". (Vonnegut 60) Many of the time warps are to his later-life as an opt ometrist. During his life as an optometrist he marries one o... ...y the good moments and bad as well that life brings to us. (Dunstan 1) Slaughterhouse-Five gives the reader insight on the meaning of life, time, and war. The thought of humans being able to view their lives moments concurrently and not linearly is erroneous to the reader, yet Kurt Vonnegut brings into the reader's head the idea of time being relative and only existing in human's imaginations. Works Cited ClassicNote. Insanity of war in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/slaughterhousefive/essays/insanitywar.html Dawley, Jason. The use of Fragmentation in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/4953/kv_fragmentation.html>. Dunston, Brittany. Destruction of Dresden, destruction of Vonnegut's dream. 29 Jan 2001. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York:Dell, 1991. The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Essay -- Slaughterhouse-Five The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Many writers in history have written science fiction novels and had great success with them, but only a few have been as enduring over time as Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five is a personal novel which draws upon Vonnegut's experience's as a scout in World War Two, his capture and becoming a prisoner of war, and his witnessing of the fire bombing of Dresden in February of 1945 (the greatest man-caused massacre in history). The novel is about the life and times of a World War Two veteran named Billy Pilgrim. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses structure and point of view to portray the theme that time is relative. The way Kurt Vonnegut structures Slaughterhouse-Five aids in the portrayal of the theme that time is relative. The novel is broke down into two parts: Vonnegut's story about the novel and the life story of Billy Pilgrim. The life story of Billy Pilgrim which is "presented as a series of episodes with no chronological order" . This mirrors the structure of the novel which has a beginning, middle, and end but not in there respective places. (Dawley 1) Billy states numerous times in the novel that he has become "unstuck in time" and that the time travel periods "aren't necessarily fun". (Vonnegut 23) While the reader never leaves the main plot line of the fire-bombing of Dresden for very long, Billy still travels alot. Billy "has seen his birth and death many times" and "all the events in between". (Vonnegut 23) The reader learns that "the things Billy Pilgrim" cannot change are "the past, the present, and the future". (Vonnegut 60) Many of the time warps are to his later-life as an opt ometrist. During his life as an optometrist he marries one o... ...y the good moments and bad as well that life brings to us. (Dunstan 1) Slaughterhouse-Five gives the reader insight on the meaning of life, time, and war. The thought of humans being able to view their lives moments concurrently and not linearly is erroneous to the reader, yet Kurt Vonnegut brings into the reader's head the idea of time being relative and only existing in human's imaginations. Works Cited ClassicNote. Insanity of war in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/slaughterhousefive/essays/insanitywar.html Dawley, Jason. The use of Fragmentation in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/4953/kv_fragmentation.html>. Dunston, Brittany. Destruction of Dresden, destruction of Vonnegut's dream. 29 Jan 2001. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York:Dell, 1991.

Experiment to Investigate Osmosis in Potatoes Essay

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the movement of water in and out of plant cells. The cells chosen for study will be taken from potato tubers. Firstly I will explain what osmosis is. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration. This definition contains three important statements: a) It is the passage of water through a semi permeable membrane b) It is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration c) It is the passage of water to a region of low water concentration. All the above statements are included in the definition, but define certain aspects of it. Semi-permeable membranes are very thin layers of material which allow some things to pass through, but prevent others. A cell membrane is semi permeable. They allow small molecules like oxygen, water, amino acids etc. to pass through but will not allow larger molecules like sucrose, starch, protein etc. through. A region of high concentration of water is either a very dilute solution of something like sucrose or pure water. In each case there is a lot of water: a high concentration of water. A region of low water concentration is the opposite of the above, i.e. a very high concentration of sucrose solution: a low water concentration. The water content of plants varies depending on environmental conditions. In Land plants this water plays a vital role in the support of tissues and the transport of materials around the organism. Lack of water leads to wilting and eventually death. Water is mainly absorbed through the roots, which are covered in specially adapted root hair cells, with large surface areas and thin cell walls to aid absorption. It is drawn up the plant through xylem vessels by a pull resulting from the evaporation of water through the  stomata on the leaves. This evaporation is called transpiration and the xylem flow resulting is called the transpiration stream. Soluble food substances formed during photosynthesis are transported around the plant in the phloem tubes. This movement of water through the plant in the xylem vessels or phloem tubes is similar to the flow of blood in humans as it transports soluble mineral salts, nutrients and auxins, (plant hormones), from place to place. The evaporation of water from the leaves also removes heat energy from the plant and helps to prevent overheating. Transpiration pulls water up the plant stem but osmosis is the process whereby water is drawn into or out of cells and tissues. Osmosis is the flow of water by diffusion through a differentially permeable membrane from areas of high water concentration to regions of low water concentration. The diagram below illustrates this: Water can freely penetrate all membrane. The cellulose cell wall does not act as a semi permeable membrane and will allow most substances that are dissolved in water to freely pass through it. Whether water enters the cell by osmosis or not will depend on the balance between external and internal solute concentrations and the state of the cell. If the solutions on each side of the differentially permeable membrane are equally concentrated then there will be no net movement of water across the membrane. This is called an equilibrium state and the solutions are referred to as being isotonic. A solution that contains more solute particles than another, and is hence more concentrated, is referred to as being hypertonic. The less concentrated solution is hypotonic. This concentration of solute particles is usually described as a molarity. Even if the solute concentration external to the cell is hypotonic to the vacuole contents the cell will not continue to take in water by osmosis for ever. The cellulose cell wall provides a rigid barrier to uncontrolled expansion. A cell that is full of water is called turgid and cannot expand further as the outward pressure on the cell wall is balanced by the inward force of the stretched wall. This wall pressure is called turgor pressure  and the internal outward force on the wall is called osmotic pressure. At the other extreme, a cell placed in a solution that is hypertonic to its contents will lose water by osmosis. The cytoplasm will cease to exert a pressure on the cellulose cell wall and the cell, described as flaccid, will lack support. Water loss can continue to such an extent that the cytoplasm, and attached cell membrane, contracts and detaches from the cell wall. A cell in this condition is said to have undergone plasmolysis. This very rarely, if ever happens in nature. As osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules and as diffusion is the random movement of particles from areas of high concentration to low concentration it might be expected that any factors that speed up or slow down the movement of these particles would affect the rate of osmosis. Using knowledge of the process of osmosis and with a good understanding of molarity I should be able to determine the solute concentration of the vacuoles in potato tuber cells. As it would be impossible to measure with any degree of accuracy the expansion or contraction of cells on an individual basis I have decided to look at gain or loss of water in terms of increase or decrease in mass. Mass, I feel, will be a more accurate way of recording the change of the potatoes as when measuring length, it does not take into account the change in diameter of the chip. I will also look at the increase or decrease in length to verify the accuracy of my results and compare the two readings. A cell placed in an isotonic solution should show no change whereas one placed in a hypertonic solution will lose mass. For this experiment, I will have to choose a factor to vary. These factors are: Æ’Ã ¡ Molarity of the sucrose solution Æ’Ã ¡ Surface area of the potato Æ’Ã ¡ Type of potato used Æ’Ã ¡ Age of the potato Æ’Ã ¡ pH of the sucrose solution Æ’Ã ¡ Temperature The factor I have chosen to vary is the molarity of sugar solution as I believe this will be easy to regulate as the concentration can be easily altered using distilled water. I will use 1 molar solution and alter the concentrations as shown below: Molarity of sugar solutionAmount of waterAmount of sucrose solution 0.050 0.241 0.432 0.623 0.814 1.005 For this experiment I will need: Æ’Ã ¡ 1 large potato to produce 18 potato tubers Æ’Ã ¡ cork borer Æ’Ã ¡ distilled water Æ’Ã ¡ 1 molar sugar solution Æ’Ã ¡ pipettes Æ’Ã ¡ 18 test tubes Æ’Ã ¡ ruler to measure length of potato tubers Æ’Ã ¡ electric balance to measure the mass I have selected the above equipment because I feel it will help me to ensure accurate results. To ensure a fair test I will take all my potato samples from the same potato using the same cork borer and keep all of my apparatus the same. I will try and treat each potato tube the same. I will measure each potato tube separately to ensure accurate measurements and carry out the procedure 3 times for each molarity tested. This will mean that I will need to measure 18 potato tubers. Three results will enable me to take an average result, making the results, hopefully, more precise and reliable. If one of the results seems very different to the others, I shall identify it as an anomalous result and retake the reading. When I carry out this experiment, I will get a potato and take some tubes from it using a cork borer I will then cut these tubes into shorter lengths and measure the length and mass of each of the 18 lengths. All the lengths will be cut to 25mm. The solutions will be altered according to the molarity required and cm3 of each solution placed in each test tube. Each molarity will occupy three test tubes. The chips will then be put into each test tube and left over night. They will then be taken out of their test tubes, dried lightly with a paper towel and the new mass and lengths recorded. Once the results have been collected, they will be tabulated and analysed. A graph will be drawn and any trends noticed explained. Prior to the experiment we carried out a short pilot test, using potato chips and solutions of strength 0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 molar solutions. The chips were  25mm in length each, and each chip was placed in 5 cm3 of either distilled water/1.0 molar / 2.0 molar sugar solutions and left for 30 minutes. The potato chips were then measured and the results recorded. They are shown below: ChipSolution 1Water 21.0 molar 32.0 molar Chip numberOriginal lengthResultant length 125mm29mm 225mm24mm 325mm20mm These results show that a potato chip placed in water will gain in length, a weak sugar solution will lose length and a strong sugar solution will lose length also. The results from this test will allow me to choose an appropriate range of moralities in order to find out what the concentration is inside the cell vacuole. I am going to investigate 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 molar sugar solutions. I have chosen these concentrations to try and accurately find when there is no net movement of water, hence the concentration of the cell vacuole. From previous work done on osmosis, I predict that molarity and average change in mass/ length will be indirectly proportional. I think there will be a negative correlation between the two. I think that there will be both loss and gain in mass discovered. I think the graph will look like this but there will be no plasmolysed on my graph, as I do no expect my measurements  to go that far. I hope to be able to identify the point when there is no net movement of water. Analysis of Results The Consequences of Osmosis in plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When the take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become â€Å"turgid† when they are put in dilute solutions. Turgid means swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises, eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant â€Å"stand up† into the sunlight. When plant cells are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become â€Å"flaccid†; this is the exact opposite of â€Å"turgid†. If you put plant cells into concentrated sugar solutions and look at them under a microscope you would see that the contents of the cells have shrunk and pulled away from the cell wall: they are said to be plasmolysed. When plant cells are placed in a solution which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity. We call this incipient plasmolysis. â€Å"Incipient† means â€Å"about to be†. When I forget to water the potted plants in my study you will see their leaves droop. Although their cells are not plasmolysed, they are not turgid and so they do not hold the leaves up into the sunlight. Graph [1] shows the average percentage change in length of the potato tubers. It shows that as molarity increases the average change in length decreases. The graph drawn looks accurate as the curve did not have to be one of best fit, but went through all of the points plotted showing that all the readings were accurate. The potato tubers gained/ loss length, the molarity increases the sugar solution becomes more concentrated, and more  concentrated than inside the cell. At 0.2M solution there is no net movement of water. As the strength of the concentration increases the cells shrink and become flaccid. Graph [2] shows the average percentage change in mass of the potato tubers. It shows that as molarity increases the average change in length decreases. This graph is very similar to the graph showing the length loss or gain, but appears less accurate as there is an anomalous result. This is at 0.4 molar, it lies off the best-fit curve drawn by 9.2%. The curve is one of best fit and follows the same trends as graph [1]. My results seem fairly accurate and although the graph showing length seems to be more accurate as it is a curve that goes through all of the points, it only shows the change in length, and not in mass. The graph showing mass change [2] gives a more accurate view of what happened as it takes into account the expansion of the potato both ways and has a broader percentage change range. This means that instead of just spanning 30% in total (as does graph [1]) it spans 80% (as does graph [2]). This gives a broader field of results and is therefore more accurate, as the mass is a more accurate result than length as the potato chip will get wider as well as longer. My results do seem to be reliable, as the graphs drawn support my prediction and seem accurate as they all lie on a smooth curve. Conclusion: From the results obtained, I can conclude that the average gain or loss in mass of the potato chip is indirectly proportional to molarity. I can also say that average gain or loss in length of the potato chip is indirectly proportional to molarity. Both of the results show a negative correlation. I can now say that the more concentrated the solution, the more mass/length is lost. This is because the water inside the cell moves out, causing the cell to shrink. When the cells are in a less concentrated solution they gain in length and mass as water is taken into the cell and the cell swells. The results gave enough information to support my original prediction. Both of the graphs cut the x-axis at 0.2, showing that the molarity of the internal  solute of a cell is 0.2m. This also shows that my results were very alike and reliable. Evaluation: My results seem to be very accurate. I can tell this because when the points were plotted they all lay on the curve, apart from one anomalous result, 0.4Mon the graph showing mass. There was however only one anomalous result and the others were all very reliable. This may have been because the results had an average taken so it may not have been accurate. I could increase the accuracy by taking more repetitions which should make the average more accurate. As the potatoes were left over night, the temperature changed which may have affected the results, but it should not have made a drastic difference to the graphs as all of the potatoes were subjected to exactly the same temperature changes. This could be improved by placing the test tubes into a water bath so they were kept at a constant temperature. The same potato was used in each of the experiments, which may also have contributed to the reliability of my results. The mass was more accurate to measure for many different reasons. Length does not take into account the change in diameter of the chips, and you can not measure fractions of millimetres on a ruler, but the electric balance will record change from 2 decimal places, e.g. mass: 1?43 â€Å"† 1?34length: 25 â€Å"† 23 whilst length can only be measured to the nearest millimetre. For the mass, we had to be careful that all the potato chips were dried in the same way as this may have altered the reading. This may have been what caused the anomalous results, as it was lighter that the best fit line i.e. some water may have been lost through harder drying, or squeezing during the drying process. If some of the water evaporated overnight, it would have incresed the molarity of the solutions, thus making the results innaccurate. This could be combatted by putting a bung in the top of the test tubes to stop the evaporation and keeping the sugar slution concentrations the same. To improve the accuracy of the results I would include more concentrations to  find the point of plasmolysis as in my experiment, I did not get to the point of plasmolysis in my experiment, so if I was to extend this experiment, I would investigte a wider rage of concentrations to investigate furthur and increase accuracy. I would also increase the repetitions to 5 per molarity and increase the molarity to try and find the point of plasmolysis. I could also decrease the range between each molarity (every 0.05 for example) to try and find the exact concentration of the potato cells where there is not net gain. This investigation was succesful but could still be made more accurate by some of the above ways.

Assignment Final Proposal

In order to enter the global economy, Future Growth Inc. Must gain financial support to achieve appropriate prices and adequate advertisement. Market Structure Future Growth Inc. Holds the determination and ability to gain success. Since being established in 1946, Future Growth Inc. Has financed, built, and sold its brand of forestry and construction equipment. The company has been able to increase profits over the years. As the United States' economy fell, Future Growth Inc. Experienced one-third of its workforce being laid off, a 30 percent decline in profits, and a domino effect from the reduction of sousing market sales.These factors have hindered the construction industry in its entirety. Nursing homes and hospitals still hold a demand for building construction within the united States, despite the economic recession (University of Phoenix, 2014). The heavy construction equipment necessary for the development of bridges, water lines, manufacturing and energy plants, nonresidenti al as well as residential buildings, and roads is manufactured by Future Growth Inc. Among this heavy construction equipment are mixers, off-highway trucks, large cranes, papers, and bulldozers.Having been in the industry for over Alfa of a century, Future Growth Inc. Is an experienced company. Executives have realized that collecting the funds necessary for the investment of this heavy equipment is greatly influenced by the arbitration rate, per capita income, various social conditions, and the existing infrastructure's condition (Gross & Weiss, 1996). The Thomas Money Service Inc. Scenario provided by university of Phoenix (2014) shares, ‘There are currently many domestic and international companies manufacturing construction and forestry equipment.Each company s equipment offers slightly different features and functions, which allows the market to supply many substitutes† (Para 6). This industry is an oligopoly market structure, as it is a market dominated by only a s elect few manufactures of a differentiated or homogeneous product (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009). Future Growth Inc. Aims to advertise its unique products in the Middle East, specifically in United Arab Emirates. Product Elasticity Experts insist that construction machinery demand in the Middle East has steadily increased.A number of factors will continue to drive the demand for such machinery in this area Of the world (Sway, 2010. ) Sway (2010) shares hat the General Manager of the AJAX Contractors Association, Humid Salem stated, â€Å"As major developers start to repay contractors, they will be able to repay their sub-contractors and suppliers, giving a major boost to the industry as a whole. This will lead to more growth in the sector, and create a renewed demand for construction machinery as new projects get underway† (Para 3). Future Growth Inc. Also hopes to lease or sell more than 500 pieces of equipment has have been repossessed during the global economic recessio n. In the United States, these products are elastic, while demand elasticity in the Middle East is fairly lower. This provides a great opportunity for Future Growth Inc. To take advantage of that area's new demand for construction. Increasing a business' revenue can be achieved in three different ways: the value of client sales can be increased, client numbers can be increased, and client loyalty can be increased. Raising the price of a service or good is the fastest way to increase revenues.However, price increases for goods and services may not always be the best route to take when increasing revenues is the goal. Client loyalty to the company and product can prove to increase venues, as these loyal customers are willing to pay the price that reflects the experience, value, and skills provided by Future Growth Inc. (Doyle, 2005). Doyle (2005) states, â€Å"Perhaps you need to lose some of the clients who were used to your low prices to make room for clients who are willing and ab le to pay the prices that reflect your true worth† (Para 16).Raising prices has the potential to attract new clientele, as the act of raising prices can express the value of the product provided. When a company holds confidence in its self- worth, the industry as a whole will notice and respond accordingly (Doyle, 2005). Consumers question the value of a product if they perceive prices as being too low. The company's growth can also be hindered if prices are too low, as it has entered an unequal exchange of value. Developing a marketing budget including the increased price from marketing costs is being considered by Future Growth Inc.The ultimate plan is to increase advertisement in the United Arab Emirates and United States. Nursing homes and hospitals may take advantage of repossessed inventory to help meet the demand that the industry has for new facilities. The economy of the United States remains an area of concern for Future Growth Inc. So, exiting this market is not inc luded in the company s plan for growth. Profit-maximizing quantity is a focus of Future Growth Inc. , which is determined through the use of the marginal analysis concept. Future Growth Inc. Determines marginal cost by subtracting the change in total costs. When marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost, the sales of Future Growth Inc. Must increase until marginal revenue and marginal cost are equal. This will optimize profits. The table provided by the University of Phoenix in the Thomas Money Service Inc. Scenario illustrates this. Minimizing product costs s a focus at Future Growth Inc. As well. Traveling by air can keep distribution costs high, whereas water travel can reduce these distribution costs.