Research Study on Gender Bias in Education

Gender Biases in Education: Math Nicole S. Tester Bryant University Abstract This research project conducted was to find out whether women were more affected by gender based expectations than men. This was done by giving both young men and young women a simple standardized math test which most likely they had all been taught and exposed to in the past. This particular test was designed to be at or below the performance level of most college students. There was two versions of the test instructions, with one version providing information about men typically outperforming women on the test, and the other version stating the opposite.These instructions were used as a form of deception to prove my hypothesis. My hypothesis was that women would be more affected by this deception than would the men. My results proved otherwise. Results showed there was little difference in the way the women and men performed on these tests on either version. The ANOVA testing showed these clear results. Do es Performance Reflect Success? Gender biases are present in the American culture. Women are put in a stereotype as the one to stay at home cleaning and cooking while men are believed to have to bring home the paychecks. How we live though is not the only area with gender biases.There are biases when it comes to sports, who can do what jobs and even education. Women are believed to be better at the education aspects having to do with words and comprehension while men are believed to be better at numbers or math. In the research world there is much controversy on whether the bias presented is true or not. Researchers have not been able to support this belief or disregard it due to the many conflicting results. A study done with the purpose of determining whether gender expectations still exist in present time, resulted in the idea that more and more genders are becoming equal in education (Jordan 2008).It was found that both sexes are more likely than ever to complete their high scho ol education and even be able to obtain higher degree. The study also showed the gender gap in scores on the National Association of Education Progress becoming more and more narrow over time. Jordan does not refute the idea of gender bias in education but supported the idea that it is diminishing. These two researchers on the other hand, Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005), have studies supporting their beliefs that gender biases in teaching are simply a myth.Both constructed research to support the idea that neither females nor males perform differently according to gender expectation or that these gender expectations are implemented at all. Fisher more, specifically, researching in math and Johnston in math and education. Chapman (2012) and Goetz (1996) though, both have studies that seem to prove otherwise. Chapman conducted a study, in Canada, which lead to the belief that gender discrepancies in teaching and education focus more positively on females. Chapman believes males are the ones taking losses in education expectancies.Goetz on the other hand, researched and came up with results which led him to believe American educators focus their attention more on males allowing them a positive advantage. After learning so much from previous research it can be accurately inferred that the gender bias in education does exist. A psychologist, Ghandi (2006) stated in his study the truth behind the bias. He used this truth to conduct a study in which he found that women not only believe the bias but are subject to it when they are told they will fail due to their gender.This particular study is what laid down the foundation for my research study. All of the above researchers knew the biased existed and all tried to support it or disprove it. This research project has one purpose; to find out not if gender biases exist but whether women are affected by these gender based expectations more than men. In many colleges and universities women are very comfortable with the ir gender; they are powerful, and successful. There are clubs devoted to women’s sexuality, success, and even fashion senses.There are awards given to women who have gotten superior grades, been offered great jobs, or are simply a success. Knowing this, what I want to learn is whether these women who are so highly praised and allowed the same success as men are still subjects to gender based expectations, more specifically in learning and education. In my study I will be deceiving the participants into thinking that only women will be successful in this study or to another group I will be saying only men will be successful. The way this will be done is by using simple high school level math tests. Before he test I will be falsely informing half of my participants (equal number of females and males) that only men will pass this test, and then I will repeat this with the other half of my participants but falsely informing them of the opposite. The fact that I will play on women ’s vulnerability will allow me to learn whether these very empowered and successful women will still be so after being told they will fail before even trying. My hypothesis is that these women will be affected by such a statistic and depending on the false statistic they get, they will fulfill it. Methods ParticipantsForty eight undergraduate volunteers (24 males and 24 females) from Bryant University took part in this study. The average age of participants was recorded at 20. 22 years (SD=1. 13). No cultural or ethnic backgrounds were recorded. With help from different psychology professors a general description was given out within psychology classes and volunteers were recruited. To these participants in particular extra credit was allotted. The rest of the participants were recruited through word of mouth and e-mail in which they were once again given a general description of the study and asked whether they would be willing to volunteer.Each participant was tested indivi dually and required approximately 15 minutes to complete study. Materials The study consisted of participants completing a standardized math test, four survey questions, and a deceptive article which can all be found in the appendix. The math test was found in an SAT math test practice site. This math test worked as the channel for the dependent variable (result on the test). The survey questions asked were simply used for collecting information. The questions did not ask sensitive information or anything that would put any participant at risk.Finally, the short article was written by myself and is completely fictional. It falsely informed the participants on information regarding SAT tests and reported false statistics on men outperforming women for half of the studies and the opposite for the other half. This was used as the deception part of the research which inconspicuously provided the participant with the independent variable (whether females or males pass this test) Procedur es Forty eight students were recruited (24 females and 24 males) from Bryant University as the participants of my study.They were all recruited through psychology classes in which Professors gave a brief overview of what my study entailed and from there proceeded to recruit. The participants recruited in such a manner were rewarded with extra credit points in their class. The rest of the participants were recruited through word of mouth and group e-mails. With each participant recruited I have a brief explanation of what the study was comprised of, what it entailed, and more specifically what each participant would have to contribute. Once I recruited all participants which were necessary I began the research itself.At the start of their participation, each participant was handed a consent for in which they were asked to read thoroughly and if they agreed to the terms and conditions they were to sign and date. In the consent form participants were informed of their ability to leave the study at any time, their entitlement to any information and debriefing, on the confidentiality of the study and many more safety factors. To show the validity of the form I signed and dated on the same page each participant did right in front of them.Each participant agreed to the consent form allowing the study to continue. Once the consent form process was finished I would hand each participant the study packet. At this point they were told that each study was to be completed alone. The packet started off with an article which was entirely false and used to deceive each participant. On it there was made up information on the performance of genders on the SAT test throughout the past years. Each participant was informed that they would not be able to continue with the packet if they did not read these instructions.Once the instructions were read each participant could continue to the next section which consisted of the survey questions. These questions were purely used to colle ct data for analysis. Once the second part was completed each participant would continue on to the math portion of this study. The math portion of the test was a high school level standardized math test previously tested by college level participants. Each participant completed the math portion and would come to me to hand it in. when each individual would approach me I made sure to let them know the true nature of the study and informed them of the deceit.It was very important that no participant left the study with the false idea of one gender outperforming the other. I made sure each participant was thoroughly debriefed and had any questions they had answered. Results The data were analyzed using an ANOVA with the alpha level set at . 05. The main effect of gender participation was not significant, ? (1,44)=. 12, p=. 73, ? 2=. 003 and the main effect of gender test taking was not significant, ? (1,44)=. 00, p=1. 0, ? 2=. 00. However, the interaction between the gender participati on and gender test was marginally significant, ? (1,44)=2. 97, p=. 9, ? 2=. 06. Figure 1 shows a cross-over interaction in which the two variables almost perfectly interact. My hypothesis stated that women’s scores would be more affected by the test gender and the deception then would the men’s. The results of the tests did not vary according to the gender of the participant or gender of the test. My hypothesis was not supported by the above data. There was, however, a notable factor in the results and the fact that they were similar in score for both genders. Discussion No significant main effect for test gender or participant gender occurred in this study.When taking a math test right after reading a deceitful article about the tendency of males or females to outperform the opposite sex, neither gender’s score seemed to be affected. This particular result is not what I predicted in my original hypothesis. Straying away from my belief that women would underperf orm the men once they were deceived into believing they would be outperformed, the results disproved my hypothesis. This outcome is consistent with the research of Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005) in finding there is no significant gab in the performance of females and males in the subject of math.The results are not consistent though with those findings by Ghandi (2006) a researcher whose findings state that women do poorly on math when they are told their gender is to blame. Some factors which may have led to the inconsistency between my hypothesis and my results can be attributed to the limitation when conducting this research. Being part of such a small university, my research was very limited in the sample size it could use. Three thousand undergraduate students was a small population to choose just forty eight participants from.This also lead to what I believe was a biased sample since each and every participant was also my friend. The fact that the participants had a relatio nship with me could have caused an over performance level which would not usually happen. Some internal validity which should be looked at was the fact that many variables were simply not recorded. These factors include the race and ethnicity of the participant, whether English was their native language, if they understood the deceiving article in the start, and whether they understood every question asked in the math portion.Another internal validity factor is the way in which data was recorded. If this study were to be repeated, observation should definitely be an alternative way of recording data. There was so much happening as I observed each and every participant complete my study. Participants would get frustrated or smile the whole way through. Sometimes they would try to help each other out when I looked the other way or simply just guessed the answers since they did not want to be taking a math test.Using a standardized that does not give anything in return to these partici pants, should not have been my only source of data since it was not the best way to find results. Regardless of the limitations, new studies and research in the field of gender differences in education have resulted with outcomes very similar to mine. Although my hypothesis was not supported, the consistency it has with the studies of Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005) only come to show that this study will be supporting much research in the psychology world.My results will be one more way to support the idea that there is little or no difference in gender performance in math. In addition to replicating my results, future research might extend the finding by examining other subjects in the world of education. Expanding the testing to be possibly in language, critical thinking, sciences and also math may give a better understanding on whether there is a discrepancy in women’s performance when they are told they are going to fail. Future research might also want to expand their sample by moving to younger generations in school, possibly in igh school, and older generations in and out of school. By doing so the outcome may result more accurately and allow a better understanding of the prediction. In conclusion, gender performance on standardized math tests do not have a direct link to the subject or the belief that one gender will outperform the other. After testing 48 participants (24 female and 24 male), giving each the same exact standardized math test but deceiving each to think they would outperform or underperform the opposite sex, no gender seemed to truly outperform. Each gender resulted close to equal.The results did not support my hypothesis but it led the way to a new hypothesis and a completely new approach to this study. References Goetz, J. (1996). In Education Expert: Classroom Gender Bias Persists. Cornell Cronicle. Retrieved from http://www. news. cornell. edu/chronicle/96/4. 25. 96/gender. html. Jordan, J (2008) The Myth of Gender Bias in School. Retrieved March 8, 2012. From http://www. parentdish. com/2008/05/20/the-myth-of-gender-bias-in-school/ Fisher, M (2008) Study: No gender differences in math performance. University of Wisconsin-Madison News. Retrieved from http://www. news. wisc. edu/15412Johnston, T (2005) No evidence of innate gender differences in math and science, scholars assert. Stanford University News. Retrieved from http://news. stanford. edu/news/2005/february9/math-020905. html Gandhi, U. (2006) Gender bias in math skills doesn’t add up, scientists say. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www. theglobeandmail. com/news/technology/science/article197902. ece Chapman, A. (2012) Gender bias in education. Research Room. Retrieved from http://www. edchange. org/multicultural/papers/genderbias. html Table 1 Cross over interaction [pic] Appendix Survey questions Male/ Female (circle one)Date of Birth __________ Anticipated graduation year __________ Have you ever taken a standardized test (e xample: SAT) Math questions (standardized test) http://www. majortests. com/sat/problem-solving-test01 1. Of the following, which is greater than ? ? [pic]A. 2/5 [pic]B. 4/7 [pic]C. 4/9 [pic]D. 5/11 [pic]E. 6/13 2. If an object travels at five feet per second, how many feet does it travel in one hour? [pic]A. 30 [pic]B. 300 [pic]C. 720 [pic]D. 1800 [pic]E. 18000 3. What is the average (arithmetic mean) of all the multiples of ten from 10 to 190 inclusive? [pic]A. 90 [pic]B. 95 [pic]C. 100 [pic]D. 105 pic]E. 110 4. A cubical block of metal weighs 6 pounds. How much will another cube of the same metal weigh if its sides are twice as long? [pic]A. 48 [pic]B. 32 [pic]C. 24 [pic]D. 18 [pic]E. 12 5. In a class of 78 students 41 are taking French, 22 are taking German and 9 students are taking both French and German. How many students are not enrolled in either course? [pic]A. 6 [pic]B. 15 [pic]C. 24 [pic]D. 33 [pic]E. 54 6. If f(x) = Â ¦(x? – 50)Â ¦, what is the value of f(-5) ? [pic]A. 75 [pic]B. 25 [pic]C. 0 [pic]D. -25 [pic]E. -75 7. ( v2 – v3 )? = [pic]A. 5 – 2v6 [pic]B. 5 – v6 [pic]C. 1 – 2v6 [pic]D. 1 – v2 pic]E. 1 8. 230 + 230 + 230 + 230 = [pic]A. 8120 [pic]B. 830 [pic]C. 232 [pic]D. 230 [pic]E. 226 [pic] 9. Amy has to visit towns B and C in any order. The roads connecting these towns with her home are shown on the diagram. How many different routes can she take starting from A and returning to A, going through both B and C (but not more than once through each) and not travelling any road twice on the same trip? [pic]A. 10 [pic]B. 8 [pic]C. 6 [pic]D. 4 [pic]E. 2 [pic] 10. In the figure above AD = 4, AB = 3 and CD = 9. What is the area of triangle AEC ? [pic]A. 18 [pic]B. 13. 5 [pic]C. 9 [pic]D. 4. 5 [pic]E. 3

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His capability to speak to your emotion and to create a feeling empathy, as well as his use the local speech, grammar, and dialect made his works attractive to all. According to the Kansas Heritage Group (n.d.), Langston Hughes had only been in college a year before finding the allure of Harlem, where he met many other famous poets of the times. Langston Hughes wrote the poem â€Å"As I grew older† describing how he has a dream but because he is a â€Å"Black† man he has walls that rise up between himself and his dream. This is a perfect example of double consciousness, because like all Americans he has these dreams that are always growing within him. However because of his ethnicity he has walls that are placed in his path. He feels because he is black man he is being forced down into the shadows and blocked from his dreams. He also is persistent enough in the poem to not lie in the shadows and let the wall win. He breaks through the wall and pursues his dreams despites the efforts to block him. (Poemhunter.com, 2003) The poetry of the times brings out the views and emotions of the people who were writing it. These poems bring out the feelings desire to be free to chase their dreams that write about as well. There are many poems that display thoughts of death and dying. Some of the themes were being brought on by the war, while others are themes were brought on by the feelings of oppression and racism. The biggest theme of them all is the fact we are American, whether we are black or white, Jamaican, German, or French descent, we are American. In Langston Hughes poem â€Å"Theme for English B† he states he is black and â€Å"You are white- yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American†. We are all American and we are all one. We all have similar desires not identical but similar in nature. We want to be free to be what and who we want to be without being held back by others who wish to hold us back in order to advance themselves. In his poem â€Å"As I grew older† he writes about oppression, â€Å"And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, Slowly, Between me and my dream†, The wall rising is the oppression brought about by the racism he faced here in America. Claude McKay in â€Å"If We Must Die† he writes a poem that can used to motivate a group of people as Churchill used to motivate the soldiers of WWI or to motivate the African-Americans here in America. He wants his people to have their honor even in death. â€Å"If we must die-oh, let us nobly die,† He wants to be seen with honor and dignity as he wishes for all his people. In the poem Christianity I write about beliefs and faith in a world where it seems to shun anyone who openly believes in Jesus Christ and his teachings. In today’s society Christians are often told they are cannot display their crosses in public spaces, because â€Å"we are pushing our beliefs on others†. This country was formed with the idea that people would have their freedoms. Freedoms that their previous government denied them, and one of the biggest freedoms they searched for was freedom to practice the religion of their choice. Christianity in its many forms was the biggest religion at the time of this country formation and you can see that in many ways even still today, however publically today there seems to be a push to hide all forms of religion. Christianity seems to be the religion that people wish to hide the most. This is why I chose to use this theme for my poem. Christianity Faith Belief in only one Love all – even my enemy They don’t want love They don’t want faith Truth Will Science ever agree Where is your evidence Is your truth, My truth Freedom Freedom to live Freedom to Love Freedom to believe Freedom to question Faith Who wants it Who needs it Why have it They certainly do not want it References Modern American Poetry (2011). Claude McKay. Retrieved from http://www.english.illinois. edu/maps/poets/m_r/mckay/mckay.htm PoemHunter.com (January, 2003) As I grew older by Langston Hughes. Retrieved from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/as-i-grew-older/ Sayre, H. M. (2012). The Humanities: Culture, continuity and change, Volume 2 (2nd ed.). (2011 Custom Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Kansas Heritage Group, (n.d.). Langston Hughes Biography. Retrieved from http://www. kansasheritage.org/crossingboundaries/page6e1.html

The Economic Impact Of The One-Child Policy

The Economic Impact Of The One-Child Policy The One-Child Policy helped China to raise its economic growth in the past decades. China was able to control the rate of the population growth lower than the rate of the GDP growth, and thus the GDP per capita increases dramatically in the past decades. In regression model 1, over 53% of the economic growth can be explained by the policy; in regression model 2, over 74% of the economic growth can be explained by the policy. Hence this paper has shown the change in the economic growth of China could be explained by the effects of the One-Child Policy. Although the crude birth rate is not shown to have long term or short term effect on the GDP per capita, the gross fixed capital formation has a significant positive impact on the GDP per capita. The gross fixed capital formation could not have increased that much without the presence of the One-Child Policy. While the population growth decreases, more resources are used to improve the living standard. The long term effect of the One-Child policy was also considered in the research. The results obtained in regression model 2 have indicated the graduate economic growth in China can be well explained by the effect of the One-Child Policy. The coefficients of the crude birth rate were negative in both regression models; it suggested that part of the Malthusian theory and the neo-Malthusian theory were support. The main criticism of the theories was the theories did not account the advance in the technology, and thereby the food supply has increased faster than arithmetic progress. The science and technology in China has evolved tremendously in the past thirty years since the One-Child Policy has implemented. Therefore, the Malthusian theory and the neo-Malthusian may not be applicable in the modern world today. This view has been support in the work of Galor and Weil (1999, pp.150-154). Moreover, part of the Revisionism theory was supported. The theory suggested that the population growth does not hinder the population growth in dense area and China is a densely populated country. In regression model 2, lagged crude birth rate was used. Since the population will enter the workforce at the aged of 16, the crude birth rate was tested for the impact on the GDP per capita. The variable was found insignificant to explain the changes in the GDP per capita. The results suggested that China was not facing the diminishing return of labour. Since the crude birth rate is not correlated with the growth of GDP per capita, there is no population theory which is totally supported in the analysis of China. Although China was not facing a Malthusian dynamic of overpopulation and diminishing return of labour dynamics, it is essential for the implementation of the One-Child Policy. If the population was not controlled and continued to increase, China would soon have to face the problems associated with overpopulation and diminishing return to labour. In conclusion, the decision of the implementation of the One-Child Policy in 1979 was supported in this research. Although the One-Child Policy has shown to have benefitted the economic growth of China in the short term and 16 years long term, it may have an adverse effect in the very long term. The one child now has to support his/her two parents and four grandparents. Therefore, the implementation of the One-Child Policy was supported in 1979 but the decision of the continuation of the One-Child Policy is to be remained uncertain. 6.2 Limitations of the Study The results obtained in the research only give a suggestion of the implementation of the One-Child Policy. There are certain limitations in the research. A number of measurement issues need to be addressed are stated below. As a proxy of the education level, it is better to use the average number of schooling as it gives a clearer picture of the education level of the population. Unfortunately, the National Bureau of Statistics of China has not recorded this variable for the period, 1979 2007. As a proxy of the living standard, it is better to use the gross fixed capital formation per capita as it accounts the fact that the living standard increases faster than the population growth. Unfortunately, the size labour force was also not recorded. (Gross fixed capital formation per capita = Gross fixed capital formation/ Workforce) There are several missing figures in the data. The missing figures usually occur in 1980 to 1985. Although interpolation has used to calculate the missing data in between, the lack of data may lead to inaccuracies in the results. There may be inaccuracies in the figures of the crude birth rate. Many illegal birth of baby girls occurred due to the traditional son preference in China. The actual crude birth rate should be higher as the illegal births were not recorded. The lack of the sample sizes may also lead to inaccuracies in the results which determine the long term effect of the One-Child Policy. There are only 13 observations after the adjustments, which may lead to no significant variable being detected even if there is a one present. Furthermore, only the labour market was accounted to determine the long term effect of the One-Child Policy in this study. The 4-2-1 problem can not accounted in the study, as the policy has only implemented for 31 years and it is not long enough for the analysis of this effect. Although the implementation of the One-Child Policy was generally supported in the results, it may not be supported in different areas of China. The average crude birth rate was used in the research, and thus the decision of the One-Child Policy may not be supported in individual cities. E.g. Urban areas The official numbers from the National Bureau of Statistics of China may have exaggerated the growth of GDP [The Economist: Chinas dismal statistics (Anon., 2009)], which will lead to the overestimation of the effect of the One-Child Policy. 6.3 Potential Areas of Study The research provides general study on the implementation of the One Child Policy in China. It can be further studied to achieve a deeper level of understanding of the policy. As mentioned in the previous section, the analysis of the implementation of the One-Child Policy may differ from cities. The number of births has been largely reduced, and the population started to age. Urban areas may have started to face the shortage of labour and problems related to demographic aging. This suggestion has been supported as the citizens in Shanghai were encouraged to have two children per family since 2009 (Xie Linli, 2009). Furthermore, the action taken in Shanghai has supported my conclusion in the research which China was not facing the diminishing return of labour. The relationship between the GDP per capita and the crude birth rate in different cities can be revised by cities. The population theories will possibly be supported by the analyses in different cities. Same methods and tests ca n be used and the data required can also be found in the official website of the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Since the One-Child Policy was criticised to have violated the human rights, the results obtained from this further research will aid the find suggestions to other family planning in China. If the crude birth rate was found positively correlated with the economic growth in different cities, some policy suggestions can be made. For example, more births can be allowed or only the spacing between births is controlled. Alteration of the policy will possibly bring advantages to China. The criticisms of the family planning may reduce; the number of female infanticides may also be reduced, and may lead to the further increase in the economic growth in China. The One-Child Policy has always been a source of controversy since its execution; there are many more potential studying areas. In the analysis chapter, the growth in the number of tertiary enrolment in China was found insignificant to explain the economic growth. Another independent variable such as the percentage of people that have finished secondary schools can be used as a proxy of the education level. More research can be done on the relationships between the One-Child Policy, education and crude birth rate. The relationship between the variables can also be found using the time series OLS regression. Although the education level of the people was increased by the One-Child Policy, there are other factors that affect the education level. As the education level of the people increased, the desire of improving the qualities of life may increase and the desire having children may decrease. As a result, the crude birth rate may not only be affected by the One-Child Policy, but also the increased level of education. The results obtained can help to notice if the effect of the One-Child Policy was overestimated in the present study, and at the same time help to gain a better understanding of the economic growth in China. Further study could include analysing the sex ratios in China. It has always been an active debating topic. The One-Child Policy has affected to the sex ratio due to the traditional son preference in China. The sex selective abortion has led to the excess births of males and the unbalance sex ratio in China. A research has been done on the unbalanced sex ratios, and the researcher, Hesketh states that, males under the age of 20 exceeded females by more than 32 million in China, and more than 1.1 million excess births of boys occurred. Since there are 32 million more males than females, some of the men will be unable to get married and have a family. Fewer births will be occurred as there are less married couples, and therefore the unbalanced sex ratios may also decrease the crude birth rate of the population. Moreover, the children may have to take care even more elderly rather than only their own 2 parents and 4 parents, but their relatives as well. The GDP per capita may be negativ ely affected by the sex ratios. Same as the suggested research in the previous paragraph, the results obtained can help to notice if the effect of the One-Child Policy was overestimated in the present study. The last suggestion of the potentials area of study is based on the past of the One-Child Policy effects on the economic growth, and to estimate the future effect on the economy. The changes in the variables which are affected by the One-Child Policy can be predicted. The least squares regression can be used to estimate the lines of best fit. Based on the predicted changes of the variables, the growth of GDP in the future can then be estimated. Further analysis on the implementation of the One-Child Policy can be done along with the results obtained. The Peoples Republic of China seems to have faith in the influences on the One-Child Policy. As to how deep the influence of the One-Child Policy, only time can tell.

Suzuki Samurai :: Car Automobile Marketing Market

Suzuki Samurai In 1985, automobile company Suzuki was entering the American automobile market with the Suzuki Samurai, a lightweight off-road four-wheel drive vehicle. A dilemma that the American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) was faced with was exactly how to position the Samurai in the American market. There were several options for them to do this, each of which had unique advantages and disadvantages, however only one that would effectively maximize the sales potential for the Samurai. The first option was to position the Samurai as a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The Samurai already had the look of a "mini-jeep", and already had four-wheel drive capabilities. Standing out from all other SUVs, the Samurai was smaller, lighter, and less expensive; suggested retail was about half the price of the average SUV. Leanord Pearstein, CEO of a competing advertising agency, preferred to portray the Samurai as a "tough little cheap Jeep." Those who had already purchased the automobile had also considered buying a Jeep or other sport utility vehicles. In 1985, the sport utility vehicle market was very small. Less than 3% of automobile sales in the United States in 1985 came from SUV sales. Douglas Mazza, who headed the Samurai operation in the US, had a goal to sell 30,000 units within two years, which would exceed all SUV sales in 1984. The second option was to position the Samurai as a compact pickup truck. The market share was two and a half times the compact SUV market. This would make it easier for Suzuki to enter is they positioned the vehicle in this way. In the pickup truck market itself, Japanese trucks sold very well; they accounted for 54% of total compact pickup truck sales. If they wanted to introduce the Samurai as a truck it would be more versatile and less expensive than a subcompact car. Since custom regulations for compact pickup trucks state that there must be a 25% tariff on all trucks imported in to the US, this is ten times the amount the tariff would be for a car. Pearlstein believed that even with the high tariff it would be worth paying in the long run, however this is still a significant cost. Another positioning strategy was to sell the Samurai as a subcompact car. This market was considerably larger than the previously stated markets. Pearlstein suggested that they should market this as an alternative to the "dull" automobile, a compact car with a "cuter" look.

Symbols and Symbolism in Heart of Darkness - The Symbol of Ivory :: Heart Darkness essays

The Symbol of Ivory in Heart of Darkness In Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad often uses vague,"muted" descriptions, leaving a melange of possible meanings in the reader's lap. One exception to this trend is Conrad's symbolic use of ivory. Within the frame of the story, his references to ivory can obviously be seen as a representation of the white man's greed. Towards the end of the book ivory comes to symbolize the oozing evil that drips from the heart of darkness. It isn't long before Conrad makes a commentary on the greed of the whites. By the thirty-seventh page via Marlow associates them with a "false religion." He says that the men at the Central Station are, "like a lot of faithless pilgrims bewitched inside a rotten fence. Pilgrims are usually people who travel to a holy place, so why the choice of words? Conrad further explains in the following lines when he says, "The word 'ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it." In their rapacity the "pilgrims" have placed ivory as their God, a realization that has greater meaning towards the end of the book. The significance of ivory begins to move away from avarice and takes on a purely evil connotation as Marlow approaches those hearts of darkness: the Inner Station and Kurtz. Kurtz's relationship with ivory seems to have been reiterated by every company member through the course of the story. Of course Kurtz "harvested" more ivory than all the other stations combined, and therefore it almost seems appropriate that Conrad would use extensive ivory imagery in describing Kurtz. Earlier, during his digression on Kurtz, Marlow says, "The wilderness had patted him on the head, and, behold, it was like a ball-an ivory ball". By the time that Kurtz is carried out on a stretcher the evil has so overtaken him that, "I could see the cage of his ribs all astir, the bones of his arms waving. It was as though an animated image of death carved out of old ivory had been shaking its hand with menaces at a motionless crowd of men made of dark and glittering bronze". The evil has now grown to encompass his entire body, and soul.

decisions faced by managers :: essays research papers

What are some important financial decisions that Business Owners face in a slowing economy? It has been said, "solidly run small businesses actually hold their own during downturns." (Mark Vitner, a senior economist with first Union Corporation) While all business owners would like to classify themselves as â€Å"solidly Run", Here are some of the thing that I believe warrant consideration by any business owner during a â€Å"slowing economy† 1) Should I Reconsider and/or revise the existing business plan? One of the most important things you can do during an economic downturn is to evaluate your business plan. â€Å"All businesses need a plan to define where they are going and how they are going to get there†. (http://www.bizplanprep.com/) Your business plan is the working base for your company. Have your current day to day operations led you to a new position in the marketplace? Or have you strayed from a successful formula? Should you write a new business plan? Should you reinforce the guidelines for the current business plan? Sit down and examine the plan from the viewpoint of an investor looking to purchase the company and make any revisions that seem appropriate. 2) What should I do with the budget? In a downturn one of the first places many businesses cut expenses are in advertising - a real mistake. As part of the philosophy of expanding your base and recruiting more customers, you need to advertise and sell more than ever. People are looking for better ways to do business. If you have established strong customer satisfaction, this is the time to get the message out. 3) Should I start a power circle or an advisory board? â€Å"Advisory Boards are being implemented by companies globally to leverage knowledge.†(http://partner-com.com/advisory.html) Advisory boards consist of industry and community leaders i.e.: attorneys, certified public accountants, civic club leaders, owners or managers of businesses similar to yours or with whom you do business, also retired executives may be available. The latest industry jargon for these types of boards is "Power Circles." An apt name because the members should be power connections for you - knowledgeable about the marketplace in which you do business. These individuals should be able to provide you with the information that you need to make good decisions. The purpose of the board is to offer you a viewpoint other than your own. They should be people you can be truthful with and who will keep your disclosures private.

Kent V. United States

Regarded as the first major juvenile rights case to preface further juvenile court reforms, Kent v. United States established the universal precedents of requiring waiver hearings before juveniles could be transferred to the jurisdiction of a criminal court and juveniles being entitled to consult with counsel prior to and during such hearings. Morris A. Kent, Jr. , first came under the authority of the Juvenile Court of the District of Columbia in 1959. He was then aged 14.He was apprehended as a result of several housebreakings and an attempted purse snatching. He was placed on probation, in the custody of his mother, who had been separated from her husband since Kent was two years old. Juvenile Court officials interviewed Kent from time to time during the probation period, and accumulated a â€Å"Social Service† file. On September 2, 1961, an intruder entered the apartment of a woman in the District of Columbia. He took her wallet. He raped her. The police found in the apart ment latent fingerprints. They were developed and processed.They matched the fingerprints of Morris Kent, taken when he was 14 years old and under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. At about 3 p. m. on September 5, 1961, Kent was taken into custody by the police. Kent was then 16, and therefore subject to the â€Å"exclusive jurisdiction† of the Juvenile Court. He was still on probation to that court as a result of the 1959 proceedings. Kent was detained on a Receiving Home for one week. During that period, there was no arraignment and no determination by a judicial officer of the probable cause for Kent’s arrest.His attorney filed a motion with the juvenile court opposing the waiver as well as a request to inspect records relating to Kent’s previous offenses. A psychiatric examination of Kent was arranged by his attorney. His attorney argued that because his client was â€Å"a victim of severe psychopathology† it would be in Kent’s best inter est to remain within the juvenile courts jurisdiction where he could receive adequate treatment. The juvenile court judge failed to rule on any of Kent’s attorney’s motions. He also failed to confer with Kent’s attorney and/or parents.Then the juvenile courts judge declared that â€Å"after full investigation, I do hereby waive† jurisdiction of Kent and direct that he be held for trial for the offenses . He offered no findings, nor did he recite any reason for the waiver or make mention of Kent’s attorney’s motions. Kent was later found guilty on six counts of housebreaking by federal jury, although the jury found him â€Å"not guilty by reason of insanity† on the rape charges. Because of DC law, it was mandatory that Kent be sent to a mental institution until such time as his sanity is restored.Kent’s sentence was 5 to 15 years or a total of 30 to 90 years in prison. His mental institution commitment would be counted as time s erved against the 30 to 90 years sentence. Kent’s conviction was reversed by a vote 5-4. This is significant, because it signified a subtle shift in Supreme Court sentiment relating to juvenile rights. It is also significant that the Supreme Court stressed the phrase â€Å"critically important† when referring to the absence of counsel and waiver hearing, respectively.Because of Kent’s decision, waiver hearings are now critical stages. Regarding the effective assistance of counsel, this was also regarded by the court as a â€Å"critically important† decision. They observed that the right to representation by counsel is not a formality. It is not a grudging gesture to a ritualistic requirement. It is of the essence of justice†¦. Appointment of counsel without affording an opportunity of a hearing on a â€Å"Critically important† decision is tantamount to a denial of counsel (383 U. S. at 561)

Homer †“The Odyssey Essay

It is surprising that Odysseus, ‘a master of stratagems,’ can also be reckless and impulsive? Throughout the Epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is determined to be a survivor and return to Ithaca with a status appropriate to his own sense of excellence. Odysseus is not going to make any suicidal heroic stands on the battle field and refuses to compromise a very narrow sense of integrity. On the contrary, he is ready to use any stratagem to get home. Odysseus lies, accepts insults, disguises himself, represses his emotions and even conceals his true identity in order to get through his journey. Odysseus is impulsive and reckless. The Epic, is only the story it is due to Odysseus being a character of impulse and recklessness. He creates opportunities for events and challenges and also the opportunity to return home as a heroic icon. Odysseus was surely a ‘master of stratagems.’ Cunning, strong, skillful, courageous and patient. The King of Ithaca, leader of his people. He was both these things before he departed for Troy. Although he was a great king, admirable, and resourceful, at times Odysseus was also reckless and often acted impulsively. The roles of being a hero and a leader were always implied. In a search for glory and glamour Odysseus sought out danger, mocked death and ways prepared to accept an honorable death. He also risked the lives of his men. This was most evident in the Cyclopes saga, where Odysseus persisted in entering and remaining in the cave despite the pleas of his men to take what they could before the giant returned. He chose to be too greedy, because of his actions six of his men died. Odysseus could not resist the temptation of boasting to Polyohemus who had blinded the Cyclops, again despite the pleas of his men. Not knowing what he was playing around with, not just his life but the lives of his crew as any one of those boulders could have struck the vessels and destroyed the lot of them. Later, Eurylochus was to refer to this episode with the Cyclops when he virtually attempted suicide by resisting Odysseus plan to take the whole crew back to Circe’s palace. â€Å"Why are you looking for trouble – going to Circe’s palace, where she will turn you into pigs? We have had all this before, with the Cyclops, when our friends found their way into his fold with this foolhardy Odysseus. It was the man’s reckless folly that cost them their lives†(Homer 1991, book 10, line 430) There was a lack of trust between Odysseus and his crew at times. Odysseus’ lack of leadership and recklessness was clearly pointed out on the island of thrinacle. The crew broke their oath and disobeyed Odysseus’ commands about eating the cattle of Hyperion. This incident underlined their weaknesses and Odysseus’ iron will and self control-but also showed the limitations of his leadership. On the other hand, there is evidence of care and concern by Odysseus for his crew. He was a man of stratagems but at times acted purely on impulse which resulted in consequences that only made himself look reckless. A man who clearly had the ability to lead by example, as a king and military leader, he had the inspiration, confidence and loyalty. This is seen throughout the text many times. On his journey, though, circumstances were somewhat different, the individualism and egotism of the hero as well as his failure to communicate effectively on several occasions created distrust. A man of tremendous courage, although he made those impulsive decisions he did care for his crew. Without Odysseus being this character there would be no story, and The Epic probably would not exist today. This man was chosen to be a king and a leader of a crew for a reason. He may have gotten a little caught up in the glamour and glory at times, however he was appointed leader and king by the gods above. If the crew had been just as impulsive as their leader, and followed his commands then they to would have returned to Ithaca with their leader.

Heinz Marketing Plan

Heinz Marketing Plan Heinz brand is trusted worldwide, has earned a reputation for quality, nutrition, innovation and value. Heinz has shown significant in marketing and productivity for 2013 to drive a continued excellent performance. The main strategy behind Heinz product strategy has been to streamline their product offering. In order to offer better quality products, Heinz decided to categorise their items. All there products now fall under three major brands; Sauces, Ketchup, Baby foods and Convenience meals. Predominant focus is on driving continued global growth in Ketchup and sauces, largest core category with sales of $5 billion.Heinz recognises that consumers due to the economic recession have become more disciplined and frugal resulting in the launch of smaller packaging with a more affordable price points-new 10 ounce Heinz Ketchup pouch and other Heinz condiments retailed at $1 in the U. S. Heinz sees packaging innovation as a key aspect to global growth in Ketchup and S auces. It will launch the fully-recyclable PlantBottle packaging in partnership with Coco-cola and is expanding its Dip and Squeeze Ketchup globally, a dual-function foodservice package, which sold more than 1 billion in the U.S last year. .Heinz is determined to take its iconic mature brand to new geographies, for instance the acquisition of Quero, a leading brand of tomato sauces and Ketchup has provided a strong growth platform in the Brazilian market. It recognises if they are to compete in sauces they need to focus on the applicability of its brand, to make sure that the product suits its culture. The dominant condiment in sold in China is soy sauce, acquisition of Foodstar expanded Heinz presence in China’s rapidly growing $4 billion soy sauce market, while providing a growth platform for Ketchup.Beyond Ketchup and Sauces, Heinz continues to extend Infant/Nutrition and Meals and Snacks business. Heinz will target new clientele for these product offerings. It will place more emphasis on the first transaction rather than on the relationship marketing. It will target single mothers, bachelors and college students who are too busy to cook and are in need of some convenience food. Heinz is leveraging an advantaged, well-balanced portfolio led by accelerated growth in emerging markets.It is actively looking for new growth opportunities with Sales in emerging markets are expected to approach 25% in 2013. In order to drive productivity and leverage our scale capabilities; we will open 11 new factories around the world. Heinz expects organic sales growth of at least 4% and growth of 5% to 8% in constant currency earnings per share from continuing operations. We also expect a strong operating cash flow of more than $1 billion, with Ketchup and Sauces to approach 60% of total sales and our sales in Emerging markets doubling from $5 billion.

How Fast Food Affects Child Obesity

Obesity has become and increasing problem in the United States for the past few years. Not only has it affected adults but now children at an alarming rate. Fast food is the cause of a lot of overweight children and needs to be addressed immediately. According to CBS news, billions of dollars each year are spent buying fast food. Parents have become lazy when it comes to providing their children with basic essential nutrients. I feel as though children are becoming more overweight because they’re eating very fattening foods and not having any extracurricular activities. Schools must become more aware of the situation and make physical education a priority. If certain schools don’t enforce physical education then the parents have to involve their children in after school activities. CBS news expresses concern that children are becoming more prone to serious health risks and life altering illnesses because of obesity. Fast foods are filled with high doses of sugar, fats, starch and salts which are served in large portions. Rutuja Jathar feels consumers are tricked by fast food companies because of their low prices but evidently are paying a high price when it comes to their health. I have seen documentaries and reality shows such as supersize me, fast food nation and the future of food which talk about overweight children and adults who are constantly eating fatty foods and drinking large amounts of soda every day. Parents do not realize the amount of damage they are causing and potentially leading their child to death. I believe that children who are overweight are not only affected physically but emotionally and mentally. Based on personal experiences children who have been overweight for majority of their lives are more likely to become depressed, teased and may lead to other dangerous routes such as suicide. To support my statement an article called â€Å"Childhood Obesity: Effects on your Child† says being overweight can cause low self esteem, behavior and learning problems, stress and anxiety, comfort eating and depression. They become very self conscious and shy because they feel as though people will look at them differently due to their weight. Children who are obese are not to blame; it’s the parents who are at fault. A child only does what their parents allow them to do. Children do not have money to go out and buy these foods for their selves; their parents to do it. Parents need to become more responsible when it comes to what their children are eating. A child does not know any better but their parents do. According to Rutuja Jathar’s article studies show that boys and girls between the ages of four and nineteen eat fast food on a regular basis. That would includes fattening foods not just from McDonalds but from restaurants such as Friday’s, Chili’s, Cheesecake Factory, etc. It is my belief that parents are enabling their children to live unhealthy lives which will lead them on a path of never ending health issues. Also children are still growing so they need the essential vitamins to help with their growth. An article posted by Michael Adams say that statistics are showing that between 10% and 15% of children within the United States are overweight and does not include the ones who are at risk of becoming overweight. He also discusses other factors that contribute to children being overweight such as television, video games and advertising. Interesting enough he talks about most parents living hectic lives so in many cases they don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal and therefore resort to fast food. It continues saying the bad part about it is that parents who have that hectic lifestyle end up making it an everyday routine where their children are eating fast food. Adams makes an important point stating that if a child wants a double cheese burger, a large order of fries and coke that child will end up consuming 1340 calories and 53 grams of fat in one meal. Adults are to consume 2,000 calories a day and children less than that. Basically what Adams is trying to say is childr en are eating a whole days worth of calories and fat in one meal. To relieve this crisis parents can look at more creative ways of serving their kids healthier food. Rutuja Jathar says that fast food doesn’t make a child full, but because of the high amount of starch in the servings they will only become hungrier. As a result they will acquire more weight. An idea that parents can use to get their kids eating healthier is to make them involved with preparing their own meals. This way kids will be more motivated to eat the healthier choice and will feel a sense of accomplishment. Instead of frying the foods try to use healthier methods of cooking such as baking and broiling. Also like I stated earlier getting children involved in extracurricular activities will help kids burn off the carbohydrates and fat. To conclude child obesity is becoming an increasing issue. Children who are growing up in today’s society who are obese are most likely to be obese into adulthood. We have to stop making excuses as to why this problem is what it is. These children are not adding value to their lives and can die at such young ages. Fast food plays a large role in the amount of overweight children but it is not to blame. Parents are responsible for the livelihood of their children and must do better. Doctors must do better also when it comes to educating parents about the important nutrients and foods their children need stay healthy. Our society needs to encourage kids to become more active and choose healthier eating habits. The children are our future and without them there wouldn’t be one.

Person-Job Fit and Person-Organization Fit Essay

Person-Job Fit and Person-Organization Fit - Essay Example The recruitment strategy considers the extent of fit between the person and the job as well as the fit between the person and the organization (Newell, 2005). The aspect of person-job fit and the person-organization fit are important to recruit the right person for the job and to improve the capability of the organization to reduce the attrition which is not good for the organization. Further, the recruitment strategy is extremely important from the organizational point of view. The organization recruits the candidates on the basis of their merit and their capabilities that fit the requirement of the organization and in this context, the person-job fit is extremely important for framing the recruitment strategy and the person-job fit explains that the various criteria that are listed and checked while interview and recruiting the candidates. Moreover, the person to be recruited should have the skills to perform the tasks required to be carried out for the business of the organization (Saks and Ashforth, 1997). The right match between the person and the nature of job ensures that the person is satisfied with the job that he is undertaking and the recruiting strategy of the organization is aimed at enabling the persons in taking pride of the job that is performing. Further, the employers Wal-Mart, Tesco, IBM, Vodafone, etc. are the biggest employers with their emplo yees recruited in markets all over the world. It is ensured that the persons recruited match the desired skills for the job and the multinational organizations spend enough money, resources, and infrastructure in training they're the workforce and help them improve their expertise (Edwards, 2012).  

For this assignment, you are to find an article on epidemiology in the

For this assignment, you are to find an on epidemiology in the news - Article Example The researchers studied relations between fast-food /health food eating, and the neighborhood of fast food/healthy food lovers. The participants were more than 5000 middle-aged people from the United States who were asked about the frequency of fast food consumption, the place of its consumption (in the street or in the restaurant) and the place of living. The results of the interrogations were worked out with the aim to determine the connection between active/ not active fast-food consumption and the neighborhood of the fast-food/healthy food lovers. This was compared with the frequency of people’s fast-food consumption near their own homes (Moore, Latetia V.,  Diez Roux,  Ana V., Nettleton Jennifer A., Jacobs, David R. Franco, Manuel, 2009). The results showed that those people who did not consume fast food at all, went on diet very often. In the places, where people like to consume fast-food near their home, the percent of fast food consumption is higher and the cases of going on diet is very seldom (Moore, Latetia V.,  Diez Roux,  Ana V., Nettleton Jennifer A., Jacobs, David R. Franco, Manuel, 2009). Moore, Latetia V.,  Diez Roux,  Ana V., Nettleton Jennifer A., Jacobs, David R. Franco, Manuel. Fast-Food Consumption, Diet Quality, and Neighborhood Exposure to Fast Food. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2009, available at

Analyzing My Writing Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing My Writing Experience - Essay Example While my writing experience is far behind the renowned essayists like Ralph Waldo Emerson or Michel de Montaigne, I am amazed reading their works. Montaigne’s wisdom, curiosity, and directness have set an example for other famous essayists and writers such as Francis Bacon, Charles Lamb, and even Emerson; Montaigne is known as â€Å"the father of familiar essay". Among Montaigne’s works that made a mark is Essais that gave a name to a favorite literary composition – the essay.Apart from studying literary compositions from the 19th century, I also enjoy reading essays from periodicals and glossy magazines.In reading a magazine, I always look for the essays contributed by some writers or readers. Narrative essays are more fun to read. Some are ten-paragraph essay while others have simple five paragraphs with uncomplicated and comprehensible thesis and details. In times when I do not prepare tax returns for my clients, I try putting my thoughts on paper. And when i n a nostalgic mood, I dig on my personal box to read the essays I have written. Writing is one of my hobbies, yet a very useful hobby in my professional life. For now, all I do is business correspondence for the clients in my tax practice. But since I started evaluating and internalizing the essays and other literary works that I read, I noticed some changes in my writing style. Even my clients noted the change: the letters I write for them no longer have the same conformity yet the formality is maintained.

Discuss with me after reviewing the attachments Research Paper

Discuss with me after reviewing the attachments - Research Paper Example Introduction: Syria is part of that region that has seen a revolution of its kind which has engulfed the entire region and has taken every area by storm. This revolution has come in form of Arab Spring. Starting off with self immolation of an individual and a twenty six year old citizen of Tunis, it has never looked back since then and now the revolution has its eyes on Yemen, Bahrain. The most recent causality of this revolution is Syria. It all started in Syria in early 2011(Mackinnon, 64). While other revolutions have settled with time, the Syrian revolution is taking time and is turning out to be the deadliest and bloodiest of all since massive destruction and calamity is on show. United Nations and its stance on governmental actions: United Nations which came into existence right after Second World War has clearly underlined the concepts and instructions pertinent to the governmental approach and actions in different countries. Under these instructions no outsider force has the right to dictate any terms, nor help any party in the conflict. There by United States of America Stands unjust in supporting the rebels in Syria. United Nations stresses for peaceful resolution of disputes and allows the citizens to make decisions rather than outside forces. United Nations has passed number of resolutions in this regard seeking a peaceful end to the violent days in Syria and transfer of power to the people’s elected. Demographic stats: The country lies on the shores of Mediterranean Sea along the borders of Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. This gives it a strategic importance based on its locality and other vital stats. While the Middle East region is sought after for its natural resources and other areas of strategic importance, in such case Syria stands as area of high importance. The country has a population of around twenty million, with majority of the population being Muslims who are further divided into Shiite, Kurds, Armenians and Sunni factions. However th e bulk of population is Sunni (Ma?oz, Winkler and Ginat). Present status of Syrian rebels group: The rebels have gained ground in recent times, with massive causalities suffered by the government, its machinery limited to central parts of the country only, rebels over taking parts of the country and Bashar Al Asad’s government standing on its last feet. The rebels constitute the people who took to the streets against the government, the ousted army personnel who refused to follow orders of the Baath party aimed at crushing the uprising of the masses even if it required killing them and using other coercive means. Rebels groups are further strengthened by the opposition parties who have joined hands against the Baath party and have decided to give the death blow to the Baath party through collective efforts. Their resolve is further strengthened by the foreign aid provided by United States of America and other allies, which in other means has made the war more deadly and sinis ter. Other units in the rebel bench include political activists who are seeking a free political atmosphere in the country which it has rarely seen in last fifty years. Form of Government: The government is presidential in its outlook, however the president enjoys supreme powers and the power is confined to a single family which makes it more of dynastic government than true democracy. A single party government is in place called the

The Management Roles of a Principal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Management Roles of a Principal - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that courses offered once, as well as the availability of teachers, influence the schedule’s development. Together with the principal, the counselor does the actual work, remembers not to schedule courses at the same time, and considers to accommodate the schedule of teachers. In making adjustments, the principal and the counselor make an initial run through to determine arising conflicts. The district provides a computer program called TEAMS to help manage the schedule. The guidance office, as well as the principal, makes the final approval. As the paper outlines budget management is also part of the role of an administrator. However, the central office is the one responsible for allocating the budget, as well as in providing assistance. In preparing the budget, the goal is to look at the needs of the campus and try not to exceed in its allocation. Budget management process begins towards the end of the year and extends into the Summer months since the school does not have the actual budget until the start of the next school year. Campuses receive their budget allocations after September 1, which includes general operating funds, special education, title funds, and compensatory education funds, as well as the travel and staff development. The Site-Based Decision Making (SBDM) committee, which is composed of teachers, parents, and community leaders helps the principal in making sure that the whole management process is thoroughly made. Allocating the funds is the last step of the process, and the budget is then finalized before September 1st.

647 W2A Project Selection Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

647 W2A Project Selection Risk - Essay Example From the perspectives of members of the board and the executive management team, the NLMS would enable and facilitate an increase in student population and enrollment. Through access to various sources of academic information and links that would be programmed in the GU’s official website, more visitors are expected to be enticed to apply to the universities varied programs and services. In every project, there are potential risks and bottlenecks that are inevitable; yet manageable. As defined, a â€Å"risk involves a source or cause (e.g., some possible event), a mechanism by which the risk source could impact the objectives of the organization, and some level and type of potentially adverse consequences† (Lee Merkhoff Consulting, 2014, p. 1). For the NLMS, the following are identified as potential risks and bottlenecks, specifically in areas which could affect or influence the achievement of the project objectives: From the table of potential risks, the degree and severity of occurrence were appropriately identified. As shown, there were risks that were classified in seriousness from low to medium; while likelihood is classified from low, medium to high. Cost overrun could occur in the implementation stage, especially during the transition stage and while orienting potential users of the NLMS. Likewise, depending on the results of the performance monitoring and evaluation stage, any significant corrections or revisions that are needed would entail additional costs for GU. Thus, the risk of deviating from schedule would be high. Corrections for actual plans is perceived to be medium in seriousness; meaning, all relevant points were already foreseen and incorporated during the planning stage. As such, the likelihood for adverse corrections is low. Moreover, resistance from stakeholders is seen to be low since they

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 122

Essay Example This is because the African Americans have been segregated against than any other group. Pampel (2004) observes that there is a need for additional experimental results regarding whether police traffic curbs practices that have inappropriate effect on minority drivers (Pampel 124). In their study, they concluded that generally, minority citizens and Black Americans in particular, were unreasonably stopped due to their higher percentage representation of those eligible to drive. Nonetheless, in contrast to the conflicts of people alarmed by racial profiling, the two researchers concluded that Caucasians were more frequently searched than minorities. Notwithstanding, Caucasians were essentially more likely to be subjected to consensual searches. In comparison to Caucasians, the researchers observed that minority drivers stood a higher chance of being warned. On the other hand, the probability of ticketing or arresting Caucasians was observed to be higher (Pampel 65). It is noteworthy to mention that these instances are indicators of racial profiling because law enforcers arrest or charge minorities based on their appearance. This could lead to stopping citizens unfairly even if no evidence of wrongdoing or breaking the law exists (Pampel 67). Among the researches that do exist, some of them come in handy as concerns the data studied in current articles. One of the studies looked at the stop-and-frisk procedures of the New York Department of Police and concluded that regardless of the blacks making up 25.6% of New York City’s population, they represented 51% of all people stopped by the New York Police Department (Maasik & Solomon 147). Another research by Smith and Alpert pertinent on this topic since it was carried out in a key metropolitan area of the U.S., and because the percentages and numbers of the diverse categories of stops, seem to be related to the data from the primary source (Pampel 107). This makes

Cheque Case Essay Example for Free

Cheque Case Essay A check bounces either because there is not enough money or credit in a bank to cover its amount, as in DAIF (drawn against insufficient funds check), NSF (non-sufficient funds check) and closed account. Batas Pambasa Blg. 22 punishes any person who, KNOWING at the time he issues a check in payment of obligation that he does not have sufficient funds or credit with the drawee bank. The gravamen of this special penal law is the issuance of check, not the non-payment of the obligation. (Lozano vs. Martinez, 146 SCRA 323). Checks form part of the banking system for being substitutes for money. Hence, BP Blg. 22 is neither violative of the constitutional provision against imprisonment of non-payment of debt nor the non-impairment clause. In the case of Que vs. People, the Supreme Court settled that B.P.22 applies even in cases where the dishonored checks were issued merely in the form of a DEPOSIT or a GUARANTY and not as actual payment. The law does not make any distinction. Criminal liability attaches to the drawer of the check whether it was issued in payment of an obligation or merely to guarantee the said obligation. PRESCRIPTION, which is the termination of the right to prosecute is a defense in B.P. 22. The lapse of four (4) years AFTER the expiration of the five (5) banking days from notice of dishonor is the prescriptive period for filing bounced check case. Whereas, if a person, at the time the check was issued, had the intention of stopping payment of check, shall be guilty of estafa under the Revised Penal Code. In estafa, the issuance of a post-dated or check without funds is intended to defraud and to cause damage to the payee. Deceit is an element of estafa while the same is not required in BP Blg. 22. A person therefore, who issues a check in payment of an obligation can be held liable at the same time for violation of B.P. 22 and estafa under Article 315, par. 2 (d) of the Revised Penal Code. Foreign checks, provided either they are drawn and issued in the Philippines, though payable outside, are within the coverage of the law. (De Villa vs. CA, 195 SCRA 722). The signatory/ies are the ones liable under the law whether the bounced check is issued by natural or juridical person because the corporation cannot be subject to arrest and criminal liability.

Litigation in Cloud 9 Energy Drink Essay Example for Free

Litigation in Cloud 9 Energy Drink Essay Pune Following the confirmation of the state public health laboratory about the energy drink ‘Cloud 9’ containing more than the permissible level of caffeine, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pune region, has now filed an application seeking judicial action against the manufacturers and distributors of the drink Pushpam Foods and Beverages and Goldwin Healthcare Private Limited. The manufacturer had made misleading statements on the label that suggested that the drink was recommended for medical purposes.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We have now filed an application seeking judicial action against the offenders,† said C D Salunkhe, Assistant Commissioner, state FDA, Pune office. A central notification, issued on June 19, 2009, says energy drinks should not contain more than 145 parts per million (ppm) of caffeine, while the earlier official cap was 200ppm. Many popular energy drink brands thus overshot the limit by nearly 100 ppm. â€Å"It was a clear violation of a 2008 amendment to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act banning energy drinks with caffeine content more than 145 parts per million (ppm). We sent samples of the drink to the public health laboratory and they have confirmed that the level of caffeine was 228.2 ppm,† says the laboratory report that gave its findings recently. Chetan Chopra, director of Pushpam Foods and Beverages said that the product was already in the market before the new rules came into effect on June 17, 2009. â€Å"How can the FDA apply the new rules about the change in the caffeine limit to the products which were already manufactured in December 2008? How can the new standards be applied on the old products,† he said. Vasudeo Kolte, quality control manager of Pushpam Foods and Beverages said, â€Å"Our product was manufactured in December 2008 and hence it was already in the market as per the then prescribed rules. We have followed all the regulations and will challenge the case in court.† It was in November 2009 that the state FDA, Pune region seized over two lakh cans of ‘Cloud 9’ energy drink from godowns in Pune and Mumbai.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The stock, worth Rs 77.3 lakh, is still lying in the godowns and the FDA has filed an application with the chief judicial magistrate’s court to destroy it,† said M S Kembalkar, a food inspector who was part of the investigation. The report has also pointed out that there were misleading statements on the label, which contravenes Rule 37 and 39 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The category of the proprietary food has to be clearly mentioned.  The label suggests that the food is recommended for medical purposes. It says that it enhances physical endurance, stamina and strengthens immunity apart from fighting fatigue and enhancing alertness. However, the caffeine content has exceeded the permissible limits.

Anopheles Stephensi Tissue-restricted Expression

Anopheles Stephensi Tissue-restricted Expression Tissue-restricted expression and alternative splicing revealed by transcriptome profiling of Anopheles stephensi Sreelakshmi K. Sreenivasamurthy1,2, Anil Madugundu1,3, Arun Kumar Patil1,4,5, Gourav Dey1,2, Ajeet Kumar Mohanty6, Manish Kumar1,2, Krishna Patel1, Charles Wang7, Ashwani Kumar6, Akhilesh Pandey1,8,9,10,11, T. S. Keshava Prasad1,2,4,* Abstract The sequencing of Anopheles stephensi, a major malaria vector in Asia has led to increased research activity to understand the vectorial ability of this mosquito species. However, tissue-based gene expression profiles of the annotated genes remain to be understood. In this study, we summarize the transcriptomic profile of four important organs of a female imago Midgut, Malpighian tubules, Fat body and Ovary. We identified over 21,000 transcripts in total, from all the four tissues corresponding to about 12,000 gene loci. This study provides an account of the tissue-based expression profiles of majority of annotated transcripts in An. stephensi genome and alternative splicing in these tissues. Understanding of the transcript expression and gene function at the tissue level would immensely help in enhancing our knowledge of this important vector and decipher the putative role of these mosquito tissues, providing the basis of selection of candidates for future studies on vectorial abil ity. Keywords: Mosquito, RNA-seq, differential expression, lncRNAs Introduction Malaria remains as one of the most debilitating mosquito-borne diseases till date. According to WHO World Malaria Report in 2016, there were ~212 million malaria cases in the year 2015, resulting in an estimated death of about 429,000 individuals globally. Most of these cases (90%) is in the African region with about 7% incidence in South East Asia. About 50% of the Asian malaria incidence and deaths has been in India1. The number of deaths attributed to malaria in India has been reported to be higher than the WHO estimates2. However, the latest updates on the cases and deaths reported in India has been limited to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), according to which there has been about a million cases of malaria reported in the year 2014 [http://www.nvbdcp.gov.in/malaria3.html]. Out of the 41 different Anopheline species reported as significant vectors for transmission of human malaria, An. stephensi is an important vector in India and South Asia3,4. Bein g the major urban vector, it is second most prevalent in India. It has been reported all over the country except the north-eastern states of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura5. Sequencing of the Anopheles mosquito genomes have resulted in a spurt of activity in the study of Anopheles mosquitoes. PubMed search with the keyword Anopheles resulted in 14,576 publications, majority of which have been after the year 2000 as shown in the Figure 1A. Majority of the studies post-genome sequencing has been focussed towards understanding the role of various genes and development of numerous methods to regulate their expression.   The overall aim of the community is to embark on a feasible means to control the spread of infectious organisms either by controlling the vector/mosquito population or by curbing or reducing their vectorial ability. In this regards, numerous studies have already been performed on the recently sequenced malarial vectors6-9. However, most of the studies are focussed on previously studied molecules with very few studies focussing on new target molecules. This could probably be due to the lack of reliable data owing to incomplete genome as semblies and annotations in the identification of such targets. We have tried to bridge this gap with a huge effort of supplementing the current efforts using an integrated approach of utilizing proteomic and transcriptomic data in the genome annotation and assembly in an array of organisms through our previous studies10-12. Although transcriptomic data played a major role in refining the annotations and assembly of the genomes in the previous study, the tissue-based expression profiles were not focussed on. The tissue-based expression profiles of the identified transcripts are the focus of this study. Tissue-based expression profiling in An. stephensi has been limited to salivary glands13, ovaries14,15, testes16 and hemocytes17 with most the studies being done on whole mosquitoes14,18,19. However, even with the availability of transcriptome data from ovaries, there are several issues. The study was mainly focused on identification of transcripts expressed in developmental stages and is of low throughput14. The other tissue-based expression studies published including one cDNA-based study of the salivary glands and another being cDNA sequencing of the transcripts from hemocytes, both tissues that were not included in our study. The focus of our study is on the Midgut, ovary, Malpighian tubule and fat body of a female An. stephensi imago. These tissues, along with the salivary glands play a very important role in the blood meal digestion and thus important for the life cycle of the mosquito vector and plasmodium species. However, we restrict ourselves to understand the molecular dif ference between these mosquito tissues in the uninfected sugar-fed state of the mosquito which we believe will provide the much-needed basic understanding of the role played by these tissues. To this extent, we performed comparative and deep transcriptomic analysis of these four tissues. Materials and Methods RNA isolation and sequencing Adult female An. stephensi mosquitoes grown at the NIMR field station, Goa, were dissected to obtain midgut, Malpighian tubules, ovaries and fat body. These dissected tissues were stored in RNAlater to preserve the RNA quality till RNA extraction. The RNA isolation and sequencing was performed as described earlier10,11. Briefly, the RNA isolated using Qiagen miRNeasy kit was used for the preparation of indexed RNA-seq libraries using TruSeq RNA Sample Preparation Kit v3. The indexed and pooled libraries were sequenced on two lanes (as technical replicates) of Illumina HiScan SQ platform. Read alignment and transcript assembly The raw reads were processed for quality filtration to remove ambiguous bases present due to the sequencing errors at the 3 end of the reads. Base quality filter of >20 was considered as good. FastQC (Version 0.10.1) tool was used to determine the quality of the raw data and poor quality calls with Phred score An. stephensi genome build (ASTEI2) downloaded from VectorBase (https://www.vectorbase.org/) using HISAT (Version 2.1.0)20 aligner with the default parameters. HiSAT2 was supplied with known annotations and Gene Transfer File (GTF), AsteI2.2 from VectorBase. The alignment of reads from each lane for each tissue was carried out individually against the reference genome resulting in eight different Binary Alignment Map (BAM) files. The .bam files for each tissue were then merged to obtain merged .bam files, one for each tissue. The aligned reads were assembled against the AsteI2.2 gene annotations, as reference, using the StringTie (version 1.2.1) assembler21. Assembled transcrip ts were further quantified and annotated into known and novel categories using the gffcompare in StringTie package as described earlier22. To determine novel transcripts as a transcript GTF file and all the StringTie assemblies were merged using StringTie-merge option. Novel isoforms and intergenic transcripts were obtained by comparing the merged StringTie assemblies of all the four tissues to the annotated transcripts from VectorBase using gffcompare. Coding potential of the identified transcripts was predicted by the use of the Coding Potential Assessment Tool (CPAT)23. Transcripts which were >200 bp in length with a CPAT score threshold of Identification of differentially expressed genes across four tissues Merged GTF file from StringTie was annotated in to different classes of transcripts using gffcompare with respect to the VectorBase annotations. Expression levels of transcripts as determined by the StringTie assembler were compared across tissues. The expression information from individual lanes were used as technical replicates for each tissue. Differential expression was computed using Cuffdiff after normalizing the data across samples by calculating Fragments per Kilobase of exon per Million Fragments Mapped (FPKM)24. The R-package version 2.16.0 of cummeRbund was used for visualization, analysis of RNA-seq data and cluster generation25. An overview of the analysis pipeline is provided in Figure 1B. To identify tissue specific transcripts, we initially filtered transcripts with FPKM value à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 1.0 in at least one among the four tissue types. We then applied the right-tailed t-test to identify the transcripts which are relatively high in abundance in one tissue as again st other tissues. Results and Discussion Transcriptome sequencing of four An. stephensi tissues Midgut, Malpighian tubules, Fat body and Ovary was performed to create a tissue-based expression profile. In total, about 500 million paired-end reads of 100bp were generated from all the four tissues, with about 55 million read pairs per tissue sample from two lanes. The expression levels of transcripts between the replicates and among the tissues were comparable. Figure 2A represents the inter-tissue and intra tissue transcript expression variations in the form of a distance-based heatmap. The variations are minimal between the replicates as expected and increases between the tissues with Ovary and Malpighian tubules being the most different. By following the standard alignment and assembly pipeline using the HiSAT2 and StringTie assembler, we identified a total of about 25,000 transcripts. However, after the initial filtering for the FPKM values (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 0.1) only 21,500 transcripts were retained. The expression of th ese transcripts was comparable across tissues with the median FPKM value ranging about 2 to 3 in all the tissues as represented by the box plot in Figure 2B. Figure 2C and 2D provides the general distribution of the length and the FPKM values of the transcript assemblies across the four tissues. About 60% of the transcript assemblies were found to have FPKM value of 1 and above, while the average length of majority of the transcripts tend to be in the range of 1000 to 3000 bp. This shows an expected trend of a reliable depth and absence of any skewing. The Transcript assemblies were classified into different classes using gffcompare. However, in order to avoid over interpretation of the data we have only focused our findings on the known =, alternate j and intergenic unknown u class of the transcript assemblies for our analysis. In our analysis, we noticed that almost equivalent number of transcript assemblies were classified under the known (=) and the alternate (j) categories. In fact, the transcript assemblies in the j category exceeded the number of known transcript assemblies. A deeper look in to this matter showed us that due to the poorly annotated gene models (which is mostly based on the prediction program) for this strain, the untranslated regions (UTRs) of the predicted transcript models in the current annotation is missed. As a result, the transcript assemblies with the extension of the exonic regions supported by the reads, probably into the UTRs were classified as alternate transcripts. We are working closely with the VectorBase to improve the annotations of these predicted gene and transcript models for the An. stephensi Indian strain. Tissue restricted transcripts Majority of the transcripts identified (about 87%) were expressed largely at similar levels in all the four tissues, the remaining 15% of the transcripts identified seemed to have more of a tissue restricted expression. Figure 3 details the distribution of the transcript expression (expressed with FPKM values à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 0.1) among the previously annotated transcripts (Figure 3A), alternative isoforms (Figure 3B) and novel previously unannotated intergenic transcripts (Figure 3C). The majority of the transcripts in each of these groups are expressed in all the four tissues with only about 3 4% of the transcripts showing tissue restricted expression. Among the known/annotated transcripts identified, 241 were found to be exclusive to Midgut, 221 exclusive to Malpighian tubules, 479 transcripts in Ovary and 436 in Fat body. The distribution of tissue specific transcripts was similar in the alternative isoforms and novel intergenic transcripts of these four tissues with 61, 67, 146 and 77 isoforms exclusively identified in Midgut, Malpighian tubules, Ovary and Fat body. In general, there was a clear bias in the number of transcripts and transcript isoforms that were common between midgut and Malpighian tubules and similarly between fat body and ovary than amongst the others. The diversity of the transcripts identified was found to be maximal in Ovary with most the transcripts being identified in this tissue, followed by fat body. Midgut had the minimal number of transcripts identified, however, the expression levels of these transcripts, in terms of FPKM, were higher than that of other tissues. Novel splice variants and their expression Apart from the known/annotated transcripts, we identified a plethora of spliced (exon-exon) reads that were not previously annotated. Assembly of such reads along with the intra exonic reads led to the identification of >8500 transcripts that were spliced differently. These alternatively spliced isoforms represent the complexity of the transcript forms and their expression in the four tissues. A summary of the differential expression of these alternate isoforms is provided in Figure 3B. As in the case of annotated transcripts, most of the alternatively spliced forms were also expressed in all the four tissues. Only about 1-2% of the total alternate transcripts isoforms were found to have tissue restricted expression. Transcript isoforms were enriched maximally in Ovaries compared to any other tissue. With 146 isoforms restricted to ovaries, it showed the highest variation in the spliced forms among the four tissues although the FPKM values for these were comparatively lower than that of other tissues. Fat body had the least representation of the alternate isoforms. The splice variants identified included examples of intron retention, alternative 3 or 5 donor and acceptor sites, exon skipping and others. Different spliced forms were expressed in different tissues. An example of transcript expressed in different tissues is provided in Figure 4. The annotated gene ASTEI04270 belongs to the Gelsolin/Vilin/fragmin superfamily, coding for a single transcript isoform according to the VectorBase annotation. However, we identified six different isoforms for the gene. The original protein coded by the annotated transcript with a signal peptide and nine gelsolin-like domains that was highly expressed in Fat body followed by Malpighian tubules. The alternative isoforms included a shorter transcript encoded by the first 3 exons (ANSTF.3986.4), which retained only three of the nine gelsolin-like domains along with the signal peptide sequence that was highly expressed in fat body and least expression in ovaries. The other 4 isoforms encoding the exons from fo urth exon consists of 4 gelsolin-like domains. Isoforms ANSTF.3986.1 and ANSTF.3986.2 were highly expressed in midgut followed by Malpighian tubules but not identified in fat body and ovaries. Whereas, isoforms ANSTF.3986.5 and ANSTF.3986.6 were significantly expressed only in midgut. Proteins encoded by this superfamily typically consists of three to six gelsolin-like domains (GEL), with each domain playing a critical role in actin filament remodeling26,27. Novel intergenic transcripts In addition to annotated and alternate spliced forms of the transcripts in the known/annotated gene loci, we found additional loci in the genome of An. stephensi Indian strain. The reads mapping to these unannotated regions were processed to assemble putative transcripts that were categorized as novel/unannotated transcripts. We identified about 2700 transcripts with FPKM values above 0.1 in the intergenic regions of the genome that were previously considered to be non-transcribed. The expression of most of these intergenic transcripts were found to be similar in all the four tissues. However, Expression-based clustering and functional correlation Since An. stephensi genome was recently sequenced and is relatively less worked upon, there is limited information on the function of these genes and transcripts. However, Gene Ontology analysis based on their translated protein and the domain structures (Interpro domains) showed that most of the differentially expressed transcripts were found to have expected domains as per the perceived function of these respective tissues. The identified transcripts were segregated into clusters based on their expression levels in the four mosquito tissues. Among the various clusters generated using the cummerbund package, few of the clusters showed clear trends of expression. One of the clusters with about 950 transcripts showed similar expression in all the four tissues. Gene level ontology mapping of these transcripts showed that majority of the transcripts possessed generic domains such as protein, nucleotide and ion binding domains, transmembrane transport, proteolysis, oxidoreductase activity and signal transduction (Figure 5A). Transcripts found to be enriched in the Midgut (170) compared to other tissues were found to have proteolytic, protein binding, hydrolase and peptidase activity. Some of the midgut enriched transcripts were found to be involved in chitin and carbohydrate metabolism (Figure 5B). Transcripts enriched in Malpighian tubules (116) were found to be associated largely with transmembrane transpor tation, oxidation-reduction process, protein and ion binding events. Few of the transcripts were associated with transferase, ligase and lyase activities among other catalytic activities (Figure 5C). Ovary enriched transcripts (241) were associated more with the protein binding, nucleic acid and ATP binding, in addition to those having signaling domains and transport domains associated with intracellular signal transduction processes such as GPCR activity, protein phosphorylation and dimerization. As expected, these transcripts seem to be involved highly in cell cycle processes including DNA replication, microtubule organization, DNA repair and growth factor activities, which are crucial mechanisms for vitellogenesis (Figure 5D). Fat body enriched transcripts (170) were consistent with the role of fat body akin to the vertebrate liver. The transcripts enriched in fat body are associated majorly with transmembrane transportation, oxidation-reduction process, chitin binding and metabo lism, heme-binding and transport, in addition to oxidoreductase activities (Figure 5E). Identification and expression of long non-coding RNAs We compared the list of transcripts identified in our study to the list of transcripts that are annotated as non-coding RNAs in VectorBase. However, we failed to identify any of the annotated non-coding RNAs in our study since the annotated ones are largely rRNAs and other small ncRNAs. Due to the ribosomal RNA depletion employed in our study, we expected no rRNAs to be identified. However, in order to investigate the presence and expression of the long non-coding RNAs in An. stephensi, we assessed the coding potential of all the identified transcripts using the CPAT tool. From this, we identified 4,071 transcripts that satisfied the criteria for the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (Supplementary Table 2). That is, they were longer than 200 bases in length and were predicted to have a coding potential of Tissues considered in this study play an important role in the life cycle of the female mosquito. They are critical in blood meal digestion, metabolism, vitellogenesis, excretion, immunogenesis, Plasmodium sporogony and reproduction, which are associated with vector physiology, progression and malaria transmission. Mosquito midgut is involved in the initial storage and digestion of the ingested blood. The gut epithelium also provides site for development of oocysts and sporozoites (Sporogony). Blood meal induces pathways such as TOR, which ultimately leads to synthesis of proteins required for egg development. Fat body and ovary are known to be involved in the utilization of the nutrients from blood to enable vitellogenesis. Malpighian tubules are known to play an important role in the mosquito xenobiotics. Fat body cells (trophoblasts) and recently, Malpighian tubules have also been shown to be involved in the immune responses28-31 and is now being considered as targets for mosquito control28,31. Towards this end, we further evaluated the expression of genes previously reported to be involved in the vector-pathogen interactions32 across the four tissues (Table 2). The affordability and accessibility of sequencing-based techniques have resulted in numerous transcriptome-based studies even in An. stephensi14,15,17,19. However, due to the low depth of the other existing studies, no significant comparison could be performed between the transcript expression from our study to that of the other studies. We deciphered the genes reported to be involved in immunity14 and evaluated the expression information for the annotated transcripts and the novel alternate isoforms across the tissues (Supplementary Table 4). Although, there has been a recent study of the cDNAs from hemocytes, we could not compare the genes expressed in their study since hemocytes were not part of our study. Another reason for non-comparison was normalization issues caused by 36bp single end reads in their study, with only 49% of it mapping to the VectorBase assembly. We provide the deepest tissue-based transcriptome profiling for these four organs of An. stephensi (Indian strain), so far. Studies such as ours depicting the transcript variations amongst tissues in its physiological states provide important baseline information. In light of such information, analysis of gene expression data in the context of changes due to blood meal, infection of insecticide resistance might lead to new perspectives and insights. This, in turn, will facilitate the choice of novel targets for vector control and transmission blocking studies and other experiments as evidenced in An. gambiae33. Data Availability The RNA-sequencing data has been submitted to the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) from NCBI and can be accessed using the project accession number SRP043489. Supplementary data Supplementary data are available at www.dnaresearch.oxfordjournal.org. Funding This paper is funded by the joint research project to NIMR and IOB entitled Characterization of Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi Proteome and Transcriptome (EMR/2014/000444) from the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India. SKS and GD has been supported by the Senior Research Fellowship by University Grants Commission (UGC) and MK was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India during the study. Table 1. Transcript distribution number of transcripts in total, class code-based classification of transcripts in all four tissues and in individual tissues      Ã‚   All 4 tissues Midgut Malpighian tubule Ovary Fat body Total number of transcripts identified 21,500 17,461 18,812 18,616 18,685 Corresponding gene location identified 12,256 10,357 11,107 10,973 11,371 Total number of known/annotated transcripts = 9,722 7,508 7,883 8,001 8,015 Number of alternate isoforms/transcripts j 8,820 7,603 8,232 7,992 8,037 Number of novel transcripts (intergenic) u 2,694 2,136 2,458 2,396 2,398 Figure Legends: Figure 1. A. Graphical representation of the remarkable increase in the number of studies on Anopheles mosquitoes post genomic era. B. Workflow representation of the study pipeline followed. Figure 2. Overall representation of transcript expression. A. HeatMap representation of the Jensen-Shannon (JS) divergence between the different tissues and their technical replicates. B. Bar-chart representation of the tissue-based transcripts and their median expression in the log10(FPKM), showing normalized distribution. C. FPKM distribution curve of the transcripts identified in the four tissues. D. Distribution of transcript length across the four tissues. Figure 3. Venn diagram representation depicting the overlap and the tissue specific expression of the transcripts across the four tissues A. For VectorBase annotated transcripts. B. Distribution of alternate isoforms of transcripts. C. Distribution of novel intergenic transcripts. Figure 4. An example representing the novel spliced forms of the VectorBase annotated gene ASTEI04270. Isoforms identified due various splicing events and their expression across the four tissues. Figure 5. Expression-based transcript clusters and the functional enrichment of the classes of transcripts based on domain and Gene Ontology-based functional annotation. A. Transcripts having similar expression in all four tissues B. Midgut-enriched transcripts C. Transcripts overexpressed in Malpighian tubules D. Transcripts highly expressed in Ovary E. Fat body-enriched transcripts.