Mercury Effect on Seed Germination

MERCURY EFFECT ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF Capsicum annuum SEEDS NURSHAHIDA BINTI OSMAN BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (Hons. ) TECHNOLOGY AND PLANTATION MANAGEMENT FACULTY OF PLANTATION AND AGROTECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA JULY 2012 MERCURY EFFECT ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF Capsicum annuum SEEDS NURSHAHIDA BINTI OSMAN Final Year Project Report Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science (Hons. ) Technology and Plantation Management In the Faculty of Plantation and AgrotechnologyUniversiti Teknologi MARA JULY 2012 DECLARATION This Final Year Project is a partial fulfilment of the requirements for a degree of Bachelor of Science (Hons. ) Technology and Plantation Management, Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA. It is entirely my own work and has not been submitted to any other University or higher education institution, or for any other academic award in this University. Where use has been made of the work of other people it has been fully acknowledged and fully referenced.I hereby assign all and every rights in the copyright to this Work to the Universiti Teknologi MARA (â€Å"UiTM†), which henceforth shall be the owner of copyright in this Work and that, any reproduction or use in any form or by any means whatsoever is prohibited without a written consent of UiTM. Candidate’s signature: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ NURSHAHIDA BINTI OSMAN Name: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.I hereby declare that I have checked this project and in my opinion, this project is adequate in terms of scope and quality for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science (Hons. ) Technology and Planta tion Management, Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA. Signature: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ DR. TSAN FUI YING Name of Supervisor: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. SENIOR LECTURER Position: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Alhamdulliah and praise be to Allah for the guidance and blessing, I was able to complete this final year project.First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Tsan Fui Ying, for her guidance, advice, encouragement, good criticisms and also for he r patience in guiding me throughout fi nal year project. My special thanks from the bottom of my heart go to my parent s and my siblings for their understanding and support during my study in UiTM. Lastly, I would also like to express my special thanks to all my friends who were directly or indirectly involved in giving their ideas, advice, criticism, and moral support throughout the project. Thank you very much. NURSHAHIDA BINTI OSMAN ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABSTRACT ABSTRAK CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background Of Capsicum annuum 1. 2 Value Of Capsicum annuum 1. 3 Background of the heavy metal 1. 4 Seed germination and growth 1. 5 1. 6 1. 7 1. 8 Problem Statement Objective Of Study Significance Of Study Scope Of Study 1 2 4 4 5 6 6 6 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Source of heavy metal 2. 2 Inhibition of seed germination Environmental effect 2. 3 7 9 12 3 MATERIAL AND METHOD 3. 1 Location of study . 2 Test Material 3. 3 Experimental Procedure 3. 4 Data collection 3. 5 Experimental design 3. 6 Statistical analysis 3. 7 Work schedule 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 17 5 CONCLUSION 20 21 24 34 CITED REFERENCES APPENDICES CURRICULUM VITAE iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Caption Page 4. 1 Germination of C. annuum seeds after treatment with HgCl2 17 4. 2 Seed germination at the 10th day with HgCl2 treatment at 25mg/l 18 v LIST OF TABLES Table Caption 1. 1 Raw chili peppers (C. annum), nutrient value per 100 g 3. 1 Work schedule for the study on germination and growth of C. nnuum after application of HgCl2 at various concentrations Germination and growth of C. annuum after treatment withHgCl2 4. 1 Page vi 3 16 18 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS UiTM Universiti Teknologi MARA Hg Mercury HgCl2 Mercury chloride mg/l milligram per liter cm Centimeter vii ABSTRACT Mercury Effect on Germination and Growth of Capsicum annuum Seeds A study was carried out to determine the germination and gro wth of Capsicum annuum after application of mercury chloride (HgCl2) at various concentrations. This study was conducted at Laboratory A603, Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam.A total of 600 C. annuum seeds were used in this study. A total of 5 different concentration s of HgCl2 (0 (control), 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/l) were applied in this study. The treatments were carried out by means of applying the chemical to the seeds on paper towel in Petri dishes. The application volume was 2 ml per Petri dish at alternate days unless the paper towel was still moist with the previous application of solution. The data in terms of seed germination and growth, included length of radical and plumule, were recorded.This study was based on Complete Randominized Design (CRD) with 5 replicates for each treatment. All the data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s Simultaneous Test. The germinati on and growth of C. annuum was significantly affected by the concentration of the heavy metal under study, especially with concentration ? 50 mg/l. Radical growth was found more sensitive to the presence and concentration of HgCl 2 as compared to plumule with this fruit vegetable species. viii ABSTRAK Kesan Merkuri terhadap Percambahan dan PertumbuhanBiji Benih Capsicum annuum Satu kajian telah dijalankan untuk menentukan percambahan dan pertumbuhan biji benih Capsicum annuum selepas aplikasi merkuri klorida (HgCl2) pada kepekatan yang berbeza. Kajian ini telah dijalankan di Makmal A603, Fakulti Perladangan dan Agroteknologi, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. Sebayak 600 biji benih telah digunakan dalam kajian ini. Sebanyak 5 kepekatan HgCl2 (0 (kawalan), 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/l) telah digunakan dalam kajian ini. Rawatan ke atas biji benih adalah dengan menggunakan bahan kimia pada biji benih yang diletakkan di atas tuala kertas dalam piring Petri.Isipadu aplikasi ialah 2 ml bag i setiap piring Petri dan rawatan diulang pada selang 2 hari kecuali tuala kertas masih lembap dengan larutan sebelumnya. Data mengenai percambahan biji benih dan pertumbuhan, termasuk panjang akar dan pucuk, dicatatkan. Kajian ini dijalankan berdasarkan Rekabentuk Rambang Lengkap (CRD) dengan 5 kali pengulangan bagi setiap rawatan. Semua data dianalisis dengan menggunakan Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) dan purata rawatan dibandingkan dengan menggunakan Tukey’s Simultaneous Test. Percambahan dan pertumbuhan C. annuum dipengaruhi dengan ketaranya oleh kepekatan logam berat yang dikaji, terutamanya pada kepekatan ? 0 mg/l. Pertumbuhan akar didapati lebih sensitif kepada kehadiran dan kepekatan HgCl2 berbanding dengan pucuk untuk spesis sayuran buah ini. ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of Capsicum Capsicum annuum is a member of the family Solanaceae and a class of Dicotyledons. It is commonly known as Chili. Capsicum contains high amount of nutritive value such as vitami n C (ascorbic acid), A, B-complex and E along with minerals like molybdenum, manganese, folate, potassium and thiamine. Capsicum contains seven times more vitamin C than orange (Simone et al. , 1997).Capsicum terminology is quite confusing, the terminology is synonymously used for â€Å"chilli pepper† plants called such as pepper, chili, chile, chilli, aji, paprika and Capsicum. There are thought to be 25-30 Capsicum species with five different names, such as C. annuum L. , C. frustescens Mill. , C. baccatum L. , C. chinense and C. pubescens Ruiz and Pavon, which have been domesticated and currently cultivated (Csillery, 2006). Capsicum is the most widespread and widely cultivated species in subtropics and temperate countries (Belletti et al. , 1998). The scientific classification of C. nnuum is as below: 1 Kingdom : Plantae – Plants Class : Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass : Asteridae Order : Solanales Family : Solanaceae – Potato family Genus : Cap sicum L. – Pepper Species : Capsicum annuum L. – cayenne pepper Although the species name annuum means â€Å"annual† (from Latin annus â€Å"year†), the plant is not an annual and in the absence of winter frosts, it can survive several seasons and grow into large perennial shrub. The si ngle flowers are of off-white (sometimes purplish) color while the stem is densely branched and the plant can grow up to 60 centimeter tall.The fruit is berry which may be green, yellow and red when ripe. While the species can tolerate most climates, C. annuum is especially productive in warm and dry climates (Anonymous, 2012b). 1. 2 Value of capsicum Capsicums have their own benefits and values to human beings. As we know, capsicums are used in cooking and also as medicines. Capsicum is an indispensable spice used as basic ingredient in a great variety of cuisine all over the world. It is also used as flavoring, colorant and adds tang and taste to the otherwise insipid fo od. Moreover, Capsicum species are employed whole 2 r ground and alone or in combination with other flavorings agents, primarily in the pickles, stewed or barbeques (Ravishankar et al. , 2003). Table 1. 1: Raw chili peppers (C. annum), nutrient value per 100 g Principle Nutrient Value Percentage of RDA Energy 40 Kcal 2% Carbohydrates 8. 81 g 7% Protein 1. 87 g 3% Total Fat 0. 44 g 2% Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Dietary Fiber 1. 5 g 3% Vitamins Folates 23 mcg 6% Niacin 1. 244 mg 8% Pantothenic acid 0. 201 mg 4% Pyridoxine 0. 506 mg 39% Riboflavin 0. 086 mg 6. 5% Thiamin 0. 72 mg 6% Vitamin A 952 IU 32% Vitamin C 143. 7 mg 240% Vitamin E 0. 69 mg 4. % Vitamin K 14 mcg 11. 5% Electrolytes Sodium 9 mg 0. 5% Potassium 322 mg 7% Minerals Calcium 14 mg 1. 5 % Copper 0. 129 mg 14% Iron 1. 03 mg 13% Magnesium 23 mg 6% Manganese 0. 187 mg 8% Phosphorus 43 mg 6% Selenium 0. 5 mcg 1% Zinc 0. 26 mg 2% Phyto-nutrients Carotene-? 534 mcg -Carotene-? 36 mcg -Cryptoxanthin-? 40 mcg -Lutein-zeaxanthin 709 mc g -Source: USDA National Nutrient data base (Anonymous, 2012a) 3 1. 3 Background of heavy metal According to Thomine et al. (2000), metals such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) are necessary as co-factors for many enzymatic reactions.Some metals, such as zinc (Zn), play important structural roles in proteins. Furthermore, metal cations have recently been shown to be involved in signaling in animals and plants. According to Ghavri and Singh (2010) in terms of stabilizing contaminated sites, a lower metal concentration in stem is preferred in order to prevent metal from entering into ecosystem. However, plants also need to control against excessive accumulation of essential cations and toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd2+), lead, mercury, and arsenic.When taken up in excessive quantities, these elements are transferred in the food chain where they may have adverse effects on the health of humans and animals. Heavy metals can enter the food chain via plant uptake (Cha yed, 2009). According to Mami (2011) from Guilan University, Rasht, Islamic Republic of Iran, heavy metals have recently received the attention of researchers all over the world, mainly due to also their harmful effect on plant. 1. 4 Seed germination and growth According to the seed physiologists, germination is defined as the emergence of the radical through the seed coat.Basic requirements for germination include water, gases, temperature and moisture availability. 4 According to Vera et al. (2010), exposure to heat and to low pH promotes germination and reduces time to germinate, which indicates that germination is related to passage of fire and to soil pH. Germination is also correlated with wet and cold conditions and dormancy can be classified as being the physiological type. In addition, it well known that temperature, light conditions, nitrates or hormonal treatment may also affect germination. In an experiment conducted by Koger et al. 2004), Caperonia palustris seeds from naturally dehisced with predominant dark gray color were exposed to pre chilling in attempts to break any dormancy mechanism imposed on seed kept at room temperature. Results showed that pre chilling did not release dormancy. Seed germinated with fluctuating 12-h light/dark and constant dark conditions. Seed germination test using buffer solutions of pH 4 to 10 recorded germination of 31 to 62% over a pH range from 4 to 10. Heavy metals may also affect seed germination, mainly believed to be attributed to toxicity effects. They can be hazardous because they cannot be estroyed or despoiled but they are bioaccumulated. 1. 5 Problem statement Capsicum annuum is a kind of fruit vegetable most commonly consumed and its production is of concerned. Like other crops, Capsicum needs to control against excessive accumulation of essential cations and toxic heavy metals for seed development and production. The heavy metals may cause a negative effect to the seed germination and growth. 5 1. 6 O bjective of study The experiment was conducted by considering the objectives of study as below: 1. To determine the mercury effect on germination of C. nnuum seeds. 2. To identify the mercury effect on subsequent initial seedling growth of C. annuum after seed germination. 1. 7 Significance of study This study is important to observe and determine the mercury effect on germination and growth of C. annuum seeds. The result from this study is hoped to provide information on germination and growth of C. annuum seeds as affected by mercury concentration in soil, e. g. ex-mining soils. 1. 8 Scope of Study The experiment conducted to identify the concentration of mercury that may affect germination and growth of C. nnuum seeds involved the seed extraction from fruits, seed treatment with mercury chloride (HgCl2), seed germination recording, measurement of length of radical and plumule, data analysis and report writing. 6 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Source of heavy metal There are man y sources of heavy metals in soil including natural sources e. g. soil parent material, volcanic eruptions, marine aerosols, and forest fires; agricultural sources e. g. fertilizers, sewage sludge, pesticides and irrigation water; energy and fuel production sources e. g. emissions from power stations; mining and smelting e. . tailing, smelting, refining and transportation (Reichman, 2002). It is generally accepted that heavy metal contamination can not only result in adverse effects on various parameters relating to plant quality and yield, but also cause changes in the size, composition and activity of the soil microbial community (Giller et al. , 1998). Heavy metals might accumulate in the food chains, with risks for the health of animals and humans, which are less sensitive to metal toxicity than plants, but they are capable of concentrating heavy metal in certain tissues and organs (Peralta et al. 2001). The influence of metals on development and reproduction of plants can be fi rstly quantified by determining the germination traits of seeds and growth performance of seedling. In the presence of high concentrations of some heavy metals, most plant species performe the reduction of seed germination and seedling growth (Patra and Sharma, 2000). 7 The high metal contents suggest the potential for heavy metal accumulation and phytotoxicity for crops grown in soils receiving the metal enriched sewage sludge.Hence, it will limit its application on land, because of the stringent regulations for land application of heavy metals i n the form of sewage (Wong et al. , 2001). The high heavy metal contents might pose a toxic effect to plants and cause heavy metal accumulation in plant tissues (Wong et al. , 2001). Many of those who performed short-term laboratory studies also discuss ed their results in relation to existing regulations for heavy metals in soils, or the possible effect of the agricultural use of metal-contaminated products such as sewage sludge, animal m anures and fungicides (Giller et al. 1998). The distribution of heavy metals in the organs of plants is not homogenous; it depends on the species and the element (Kozanecka et al. , 2002). The application of cow dung in wasteland soil not only provided nutrients for plant growth, but also stabilized the metal in the soil and reduced metal toxicity to the plant (Ghavri and Singh, 2010). According to Longman (2006), mercury is a heavy silver white poisonous metal that is liquid at ordinary temperature and it is a chemical element symbol is Hg. It is a pervasive pollutant that accumulates in organisms and is highly toxic.Elemental mercury is efficiently transported as a gas around the 8 globe, and even remote areas show evidence of mercury pollution originating from industrial sources such as power plants (Morel et al. , 1998). Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that is of significant concern as an environmental pollutant since mercury is not very phototoxic in normally occurring concentra tions. In polluted regions, mercury is a non -degradable toxic heavy metal pollutant when it is accumulated by plants. The information is scare about its uptake mechanism and growth inhibition. There are a wide range of sources that emit mercury to the atmosphere.Approximately half of the atmospheric budget of vapor-phase mercury is attributed to anthropogenic sources and half to natural source (Nriagu, 1989) The accumulation of mercury in terrestrial plants increases with increasing soil mercury concentration. Soil type has considerable influence on this process, i. e. high organic matter content will decrease uptake. Generally, the highest concentrations of mercury are found at the roots, but translocation to other organs occurs. In contrast to higher plants, mosses are known to take up mercury via atmospheric deposition (Boening, 2000).The characterization of mercury uptake showed that mercury binding is dependent on initial pH, agitation speed, amount of dosage and also the inte raction between pH and contact time (Ling, 2010). 2. 2 Inhibition of seed germination According to Longman (2006), seed is a small, hard object produced by plants, from which a new plant of the same kind grows. Poor quality seeds suffer from following problems of low germination percentage, poor 9 emergence, poor survival, and poor adaptability to site, susceptible to disease and pests, poor growth, and low productivity (Anonymous, 2011a).The characteristics of good seeds are well ripened, healthy and true to type, pure and free from inert materials and weed seeds, viable and have good germination capacity, uniform in its texture, structure and appearance, and free from damage and should not be broken and inflected by pests and diseases (Anonymous, 2011a). Seed germination is defined as the emergence and development from seed embryo of those essential structures, which are indicative of the ability of seed to produce a normal plant under favorable conditions (Anonymous, 2011a).Seeds need to be handled carefully to avoid damage to the embryo. Rough handling at threshing time can result in a lower percentage of germination. Actual tests are made at intervals to insure a good percentage of germination. Many seeds will germinate in a week or two or three weeks, but some seeds may take weeks or even years until barriers to germination are removed (Butterfield, 1967). Although seeds are rather similar in structure and in the same taxonomic family, their germination patterns are quite different (McDonald, 2011).Seeds exist in a state of dormancy, absorbing oxygen, giving off carbon dioxide, and slowly using up their stored food reserves during germination (Rindels, 1996). Every viable seed has the potential to become a plant. For this to happen, the seed must germinate, and for germination to occur, a seed 10 essentially needs water (during absorption and subsequent stages of growth), oxygen (for respiration) and temperature adequate for metabolism and growth. Some s eeds also require light and therefore must be on the soil surface in order to germinate, and not buried beneath the soil surface (McDonald, 2011).A general statement was made that percent of germination or p ercent of viable seeds of Rumex scutatus drop over time as a result of exposure to environmental conditions (Yilmaz and Aksoy, 2007). Some seeds have certain chemicals inside them to which prevent their germination, while some seeds may not have well developed embryo and require storage for a few weeks before germination can take place (Anonymous, 2011a). Some seeds present deep physiological dormancy with a very low germination percentage and they need a long time to start germination (Vera et al. , 2010).Heavy metals of Zn and ZnO particles were observed to have significant inhibition on seed germination and root growth (El-Temsah and Joner, 2010). The decrease in the value of germination percentage and germination index of the seed caused by the increased amount of metallic c ompound indicates that at a lower concentration, the contaminant posed little or no harm on the seed viability but in higher level, germination is retarded (Jaja and Odoemena, 2004). In the presence of heavy metals at certain concentrations, the radical of Arabidopsis thaliana protruded from testa, but the embryo growth was arrested beyond the point (Li et al. 2005). Although the seed coat provides some protection from metal stress prior to germination, it will eventually 11 crack or become more permeable upon germination. The current literature suggests that seed germination is affected by metals in two ways. Firstly, by their general toxicity, and secondly are by their inhibition of water uptake (Kranner and Colville, 2011). The seed injury caused by organic mercurials to cereals was characterized by abnormal germination. The primary effect of mercury could possibly be on the embryo itself, and effects on the endosperm were of secondary importance (Patra and Sharma, 2000). . 3 Env ironmental effect Salinity reduced germination percentage and also delayed the germination rate as the salt level was increased. The germination rate, germination index and coefficient of velocity of germination of forage sorghums decreased under salinity treatments. The germination percentage was a maximum in distilled water, but decreased with increasing salinity (Siti Aishah et al. , 2010). The pH of soil plays a great role in the speciation and bio-availability of heavy metals thus; the maximum allowable con centrations in soil vary with soil (Luo et al. , 2011).The percentage germination was low at acidic as well as alkaline conditions in both the sets of scarified and unscarified Solanum nigrum seeds. It was observed that neutral pH plays in an important role in increasing germination (Suthar et al. , 2009). 12 Erica australis had increased seed germination in response to factors related to passage of fire and low pH (Vera et al. , 2010). Caperonia palustris seed germination w as less than 32% at pH 4 and 10. High seed germination over a broad pH range indicated that pH may not be a limiting factor for germination in most soils (Koger et al. , 2004).The addition of lime caused a significant increase in soil pH providing an alkaline buffering capacity against heavy metal availability for the acid loamy soil while without liming the acidic soil may cause a lowering of the alkalinity of sludge resulting in a higher availability of heavy metals (Wong et al. , 2001). 13 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Location of the study This study was conducted at Laboratory A603, Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor. 3. 2 Test material Capsicum annuum fully ripe fruits were purchased from local market and a total of 600 seeds were extracted from the fruits.The seeds were cleaned with running tap water, pat dried with paper towel and air dried for two days prior to experimentation. 3. 3 Experiment procedure 3. 3. 1 Sterilizatio n of seed Seeds were rinsed with 10% Chlorox followed by 3 times rinsing with distilled water. 3. 3. 2 Treatment Seeds were germinated in enclosed Petri dishes on paper towel containing HgCl2 solutions at 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 mg/l respectively. The paper towel was moistened with 2 ml of the respective HgCl 2 solution before the seeds were placed on the paper towel for germination test. The paper towel was applied with 2 ml of the 14 espective mercury solution at alternate days unless the paper towel was still found moist with the previous application of solution. 3. 4 Data collection The germination/emergence of the seedling (radical and plumule) was recorded for a period of 10 days. Then, the length of the radical (primary root) and plumule (primary shoot) was measured at two days after germination. The other abnormal morphology, growth and development of seedlings were also recorded. 3. 5 Experimental design The experiment was based on completely randomized design (CRD) as it is the most commonly used design for laboratory research.This experiment was arranged in a CRD as a single factor experiment with 5 replicates. There were 20 seeds in each replicate. 3. 6 Statistical analysis Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s Simultaneous Test. Germination percentage was transformed to arc-sine value before ANOVA. 3. 7 Work schedule This study was conducted starting from January 2011 until July 2011 (Table 3. 1). It involved extraction and cleaning of seeds, air drying of seeds, sterilization procedure, and treatment with HgCl2, data collection and data 15 analysis.At the end of this study, project report was presented orally and the written final report was submitted. Table 3. 1: Work schedule for the study on germination and growth of C. annuum after application of HgCl2 at various concentrations Weeks activities 2 Collection of material / / 8 10 / 12 14 / / / Data collection 6 / Treatment 4 Data analysis Oral presentation / Submission of report / 16 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS Figure 4. 1 indicates the germination of C. annuum seeds treated with varying concentrations of HgCl2. Capsicum annuum seed germination was significantly affected by treatment with HgCl2 up to 100 mg/l (Figures 4. and 4. 2; Table 4. 1; Appendices A and B). Seeds treated ? 50 mg/l HgCl 2 showed significantly lower germination percentage and germination index as compared to the control seeds treated with distilled water and those treated with lower HgCl 2 at 25 mg/l. This trend was visible from 4 days after germination onwards until end of the study period of 10 days. Figure 4. 1: Germination of C. annuum seeds after treatment with HgCl2 17 Figure 4. 2: Seed germination at the 10th day with HgCl2 treatment at 25mg/l Table 4. 1: Germination and growth of C. annuum after treatment withHgCl2 HgCl2 mg/l) Germination % Germination index Length of radical (cm) Length of plumule (cm) 0 100 ±0 a 5. 41 ±0. 84 a 1. 75 ±0. 11 a 0. 77 ±0. 07 a 25 95 ±6. 12 a 5. 38 ±0. 59 a 1. 23 ±0. 07 b 0. 70 ±0. 06 ab 50 56 ±9. 62 b 3. 08 ±0. 73 b 0. 95 ±0. 08 c 0. 58 ±0. 11 b 75 49 ±6. 52 b 3. 16 ±0. 66 b 0. 61 ±0. 02 d 0. 36 ±0. 01 c 100 28 ±9. 08 c 1. 90 ±0. 54 b 0. 47 ±0. 02 e 0. 33 ±0. 11 c Means with the same letter within the same column are not significantly different at 5% level of significance All HgCl2 treatments ranging from 25 – 100 mg/l as studied resulted in significant inhibition of radical growth (Table 4. ; Appendi ces B and C). Growth inhibition of 18 radical increased significantly and simultaneously with increasing HgCl 2 concentration indicating that radical was very sensitive to this heavy metal. Based on Table 4. 1, plumule growth of C. annuum seeds was also affected significantly by the HgCl2 treatment (Appendices B and D). Plumule growth was less sensitive to this heavy metal; only those treated at higher rates of 75 and 100 mg/l showed significantly th e greatest inhibition effects. Heavy metal of mercury was found to affect the germination and growth of C. nnuum seeds. Based on the results, mercury at 50 mg/l was found to retard seed germination in terms of germination percentage and germination index. This concentration of mercury also affected development of radical and plumule in terms of length of the organs. Toxicity caused by the under study heavy metal at concentration of 50 mg/l was presumed to result in obvious reduced seed germination and inhibition of growth of seedlings of C. annuum. 19 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION Seed germination and growth of C. annuum seedlings were affected with HgCl2 at 50 mg/l.Reduced seed germination and inhibition of seedling growth were recorded with this treatment and higher concentration of HgCl2. The seeds of this fruit vegetable can be concluded to be sensitive to mercury contamination. 20 CITED REFERENCES Anonymous. (2012a). Chili peppers nutrition facts. Retrieved 20 May 2012, from http://www. nutrition-and-you. com/chili-peppers. html Anonymous. (2012b). PLANTS Profile Capsicum annuum L. var. annuum cayenne pepper Retrieved 20 May 2012, from http://plants. usda. gov/java/profile? symbol=CAAN4 Anonymous. (2011a). Seed technology.Retrieved 21 September 2011, from http://ifs. nic. in/rt/main/courses/seed_tech. pdf Belletti, P. , Marzachi, C. & Lanteri, S. (1998). Flow cytometric measurement of nuclear DNA content in Capsicum (Solanaceae). Plant Systematic and Evolution 209: 85-91. Boening, D. W. (2000). Ecological effects, transport, and fate of mercury: a general review. Chemosphere 40:1335-1351. Butterfield, H. M. , (1967). Seed germination. California Horticultural Society Journal 28(2):1-9. Retrived 20 May 2012 from http://www. calhortsociety. org/ Bulletins/journal-articles/seed-germination. html Chayed, N. F. (2009).Determination of Heavy Metal Uptake by Acacia magnium Grown in Ex-mining Area in Kg Gajah, Perak. Universiti Teknologi MARA. Csillery G. (2006) Pepper ta xonomy and the botanical description of the species, Acta Argon Hung. 5: 151-166. El-Temsah, Y. S. , & Joner, E. J. (2010). Impact of Fe and Ag nanoparticles on seed germination and differences in bioavailability during exposure in aqueous suspension and soil. Environmental Toxicology DOI 10. 1002/tox. Ghavri, S. V. , & Singh, R. P. (2010). Phytotranslocation of Fe by biodiesel plant Jatropha curcas L. grown on iron rich wasteland soil. Braz. J. Physiol. 22(4): 235243.Giller, K. E. , Witter, E. , & McGrath, S. P. (1998). Toxicity of heavy metals to microorganisms and microbial processes in agricultural soils: A review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 30(10/11): 1389-1414. Jaja, T, E. , & Odoemena, C. S. I. (2004). Effect of Pb, Cu and Fe compounds on the germination and early seedling growth of tomato varieties. J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Mgt. 8(2): 51-53. 21 Koger, C. H. , Reddy, K. N. , & Poston, D. H. (2004). Factors affecting seed germination, seedling emergence, and survival of texas weed (Caperonia palustris). Weed Science 52: 989-995. Kozanecka, T. , Chojnicki, J. , & Kwasowski, W. (2002).Content of heavy metals in plant from pollution-free regions. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 11(4): 395-399. Kranner, I. , & Colville, L. (2011). Metals and seeds: Biochemical and molecular implications and their significance for seed germination. Environmental and Experinmental Botany. 72(1): 93-105 Li, W. , Khan, M. A. , Yamaguchi, S. & Kamiya, Y. (2005). Effect of heavy metal on seed germination and early seedling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Growth Regulation 46: 45-50. Ling, T. , Fangke, Y. , & Jun, R. (2010). Effect of mercury to seed germination, coleoptile growth and root elongation of four vegetable.Research Journal of Phytochemistry 4(4): 225-233. Longman (2006). Dictionary of Comtemporary English. Pearson Education Limited: 1950. Luo, C. , Liu, C. , Wang, Y. , Liu, X. , Li, F. , Zhang, G. , & Li, X. (2011). Heavy metal contamination in soils and v egetables near an e-waste processing site, south China. Journal of Hazardous Materials 186(1): 481-490. Mami, Y. , Ahmadi, G. , Shahmoradi, M. , & Gorbani, H. R. (2011). Influence of different concentration of heavy metals on the seed germination and growth of tomato. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 5(6): 420-426. McDonald, M. B. 2011). Physiology of Seed Germination. Retrieved 23 November 2011, from http://seedbiology. osu. edu/HCS631_files/4A%20Seed%20germination. pdf Morel, F. M. , Kraepiel, A. M. , & Amyot, M. , (1998). The chemical cycle and accumulation of mercury. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 29: 54-566. Nriagu, J. O. (1989). A global assessment of natural sources of atmospheric trace metals. Nature 338: 47-49. Patra, M. , & Sharma, A. (2000). Mercury toxicity in plant. The Botanical Review 66(3): 379-422. Peralta, J. R. , Gardea-Torresdey, J. L. , Tiemann, K. J. , Gomez, E. , Arteaga, S. , Rascon, E. & Parsons, J.G. (2000). Study of the ef fect of heavy metal on seed germination and plant growth on alfalfa plant (Medicago sativa) grown in solid media. Proceeding of the 2000 Conference on Harzardous Waste Research: 135-140. 22 Ravishankar, G. A. , Suresh, B. , Giridhar, P. , Rao, S. R. and Johnson, T. S. (2003). Biotechnological studies on Capsicum for metabolite production and plant improvement. In: Amit Krishna, D. E. , (ed. ). Capsicum: The genus Capsicum. Harwood Academic Publishers, UK,: 96-128. Reichman, S. M. (2002). The Responses of Plants to Metal Toxicity: A review focusing on Copper, Manganese and Zinc.Australian Minerals & Energy Environment Foundation, Victoria, Australia: 1-54. Rindels, S. (1996). Successful seed germination. Horticulture and Home Pest News IC-475(2), Iowa State University. Retrived from http://www. ipm. iastate. edu/ipm/ hortnews/1996/2-9-1996/seed. html Simone, A. H. , Simone, E. H. , Eitenmiller, R. R. , Mills, N. R. , & Green, N. R. , (1997). Ascorbic acid and provitamin a contents in usually colored bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L. ). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 10(4): 299-311. Siti Aishah, H. , Saberi, A. R. , Halim, R. A. , & Zaharah, A. R. (2010). Salinity effects on germination of forage sorghums.Journal of Agronomy 9(4): 169-174. Suthar, A. C. , Naik, V. R. , & Mulani, R. M. (2009). Seed and seed germination in Solanum nigrum Linn. American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci. 5(2): 179-183. Thomine, S. , Wang, R. , Ward, J. M. , Crawford, N. M. , & Schroeder, J. I. (2000). Cadmium and iron transport by members of a plant metal transporter family in Arabidopsis with homology to Nramp genes. PNAS 99(9): 4991-4996. Vera, D. T. , Martin, R. P. , & Oliva, S. R. (2010). Effect of chemical and physical treatment on seed germination of Erica australis. Ann. Bot. Fennici 47: 353-360. Wong, J. W. C. , Lai, K. M. D. , Su.S. & Fang, M. (2001). Availability of heavy metals for Brassica chinensis grown in an acidic loamy soil amended with domestic and indust rial sewage sludge. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 128:339-353. Yilmaz, D. D. , & Aksoy, A. (2007). Physiological effects of different environmental conditions on the seed germination of Rumex scutatus L. (Polygonaceae). Erciyes Universitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 23(1-2): 24-29. 23 APPENDIX A Germination of C. annuum seeds HgCl2 (mg/l) 0 25 50 75 100 Replicate 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 2 2 3 7 5 8 6 7 4 5 7 5 2 3 3 2 6 3 4 5 2 3 3 2 2 1 24 4 7 8 5 9 6 6 6 5 5 4 2 6 4 3 1 2 3 5 3 2 4 4 1 4 Period (days) 6 5 6 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 3 3 5 2 3 1 1 5 1 1 2 8 4 2 3 1 1 3 2 2 2 5 3 2 10 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 APPENDIX B ANOVA Sum of Squares df Mean Square germination Between Groups Within Groups G. I Length of radical Length of plumule Total Between Groups Within Groups Total Between Groups Within Groups Total Between Groups Within Groups Total 12408. 834 4 3102. 208 707. 247 20 F Sig. 35. 362 13116. 081 48. 100 9. 246 57. 346 5. 203 .091 5. 294 .758 .130 .888 25 24 4 20 24 4 20 24 4 20 24 12. 025 .462 87. 726 . 000 26. 011 . 000 1. 301 286. 374 . 000 .005 .190 .007 29. 159 . 00 Multiple Comparisons Tukey HSD Dependent Variable (I) treatment (J) treatment germination 0 25 50 75 100 25 0 50 75 100 50 0 25 75 100 75 0 25 50 100 100 0 25 50 75 95% Confidence Interval Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. 9. 72566 3. 76098 . 111 Lower Bound Upper Bound -1. 5286 20. 9799 3. 76098 . 000 30. 2341 52. 7426 3. 76098 . 000 34. 3137 56. 8222 3. 76098 . 000 47. 0576 69. 5661 -9. 72566 3. 76098 . 111 -20. 9799 1. 5286 41. 48839 * 45. 56795 * 58. 31190 * 31. 76273 * 3. 76098 . 000 20. 5085 43. 0170 35. 84229 * 3. 76098 . 000 24. 5880 47. 0965 48. 58623 * 3. 76098 . 000 37. 3320 59. 8405 -41. 48839 * . 76098 . 000 -52. 7426 -30. 2341 -31. 76273 * 3. 76098 . 000 -43. 0170 -20. 5085 4. 07956 3. 76098 . 812 -7. 1747 15. 3338 16. 82351 * 3. 76098 . 002 5. 5693 28. 0778 -45. 56795 * 3. 76098 . 000 -56. 8222 -34. 3137 -35. 84229 * 3. 76098 . 000 -47. 0965 -24. 5 880 -4. 07956 3. 76098 . 812 -15. 3338 7. 1747 12. 74395 * 3. 76098 . 022 1. 4897 23. 9982 -58. 31190 * 3. 76098 . 000 -69. 5661 -47. 0576 -48. 58623 * 3. 76098 . 000 -59. 8405 -37. 3320 -16. 82351 * 3. 76098 . 002 -28. 0778 -5. 5693 -12. 74395 * 3. 76098 . 022 -23. 9982 -1. 4897 26 Multiple Comparisons Tukey HSD 95% Confidence Interval Mean Difference (I-J)Dependent Variable (I) treatment (J) treatment G. I 0 25 .03500 .43003 1. 000 -1. 2518 1. 3218 50 2. 33000 * .43003 . 000 1. 0432 3. 6168 2. 25333 * .43003 . 000 .9665 3. 5401 3. 51167 * .43003 . 000 2. 2249 4. 7985 0 -. 03500 .43003 1. 000 -1. 3218 1. 2518 50 2. 29500* .43003 . 000 1. 0082 3. 5818 75 2. 21833 * .43003 . 000 .9315 3. 5051 3. 47667 * .43003 . 000 2. 1899 4. 7635 -2. 33000 * .43003 . 000 -3. 6168 -1. 0432 -2. 29500 * .43003 . 000 -3. 5818 -1. 0082 75 -. 07667 .43003 1. 000 -1. 3635 1. 2101 100 1. 18167 .43003 . 082 -. 1051 2. 4685 0 -2. 25333 * .43003 . 000 -3. 5401 -. 9665 25 -2. 21833* .43003 . 000

Computer Role in Entertainment & the Arts

Computer Role in Entertainment & the Arts How will my leisure activities be affected by information technology? Information technology is being used for all kinds of entertainment, ranging from video games to telegambling. It is also being used in the arts, from painting to photography. Let's consider just two examples, music and film. Computers, the internet, and the World Wide Web are standing the system of music recording and distribution on its head and in the process are changing the financial underpinnings of the music industry.Because of their high overhead, major record labels typically need a band to sell half a million CDs in order to be profitable, but independent bands, using online marketing, can be reasonably successful selling 20,000 or 30,000 albums. Team Love, a small music label established in 2003, found it could promote its first two bands, Tilly and the Wall and Willy Mason, by offering songs online free for (Dowloading—transferring data from a remote comp uter to one's own computer—so that people could listen to them before paying $12 for a CD.It also puts videos online for sharing and uses quirky websites to reach fans. â€Å"There's something exponential going on,† says one of Team Love's founders. â€Å"The more music that's downloaded, the more it sells. â€Å"‘† Many independent musicians are also using the internet to get their music heard, hoping that giving away songs will help them build audiences/*4 The web also offers sources for instantly downloadable sheet music. One research engineer has devised a computerized scoring system for judging musical competitions that overcomes the traditional human-jury approach, which can he swayed by personalities and. olyphonicHMI and a Spanish company, PolyphonicHMI, has created Hit Song Science software, which they say can analyze the hit potential of new songs by, according to one description, â€Å"reference to a finely parsed universe of attributes derive d from millions of past songs. † As for movies, now that blockbuster movies routinely meld live action, and animation, computer artists are in big demand. The 1999 film Star Wars: Episode /, for instance, had fully 1,965 digital shots out of about 2,200 shots.Even when film was used, it was scanned into computers to be tweaked with animated effects, lighting, and the like. Entire beings were created on computers by artists working on designs developed by producer George Lucas and his chief artist. computers as a source of entertainment as well as amusement Answer The sources of entertainment has evolved down the ages. But human beings search for entertainment and things that could amuse him or her has been existing since time immemorial. One of the latest form of entertainment for the present civilization is computers.With inbuilt and loaded computer games, availability of softwares which allow you to paint, listen to music, watch videos, movies and also allow you to create mu sic or videos or movies; computer has really become a major source of entertainment for the people who are computer savvy or at least computer literate. Other than this, the obvious source of entertainment on computers is the internet which not just connects you to the rest of the world but also allows you to find your amusement right at home.Chat rooms allow us to connect with like minded people and discuss with them about our favourite topics. Messengers also allow us to connect to your friends across the world and talk to them. Websites which carry news and other matters related to entertainment become a major source. Online games allow us to play with other people who have access to that game in a virtual world, while we are all seated in our own room in front of our PCs. Innumerable examples of internet as an entertainment source can be quoted.Now with Microsoft and Google promising to built the complete virtual structures of any city in the world on the internet, people would not have to travel to those people on holidays in order to explore and enjoy the city. They just have to log on to the Google World or the Microsoft site and explore the city online where they can walk down the streets enter buildings and even make purchase while they are gossiping about the prices with the other customers in the shops. Now can there be any doubt that computers are a main source of entertainment and amusement in this generation?Computer Games & Entertainment The computer games and entertainment business is a fast growing multi-billion dollar worldwide business, with games platforms ranging from Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, mobile and handhelds including iPhone, iPad and Android phones, PC-based, and massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) involving tens of thousands of people. With ongoing strong demand for graduate computer games programmers from the UK and abroad, this MSc will produce graduates who are well positioned to get a job in this exciting wor ldwide industry.Potential employers include EA, Ubisoft, Sony, Activision, Microsoft, Cinesite, Framestore, and many more. In a wider sense, the influence of computer games programming is spreading to other digital media industries outside games, as seen in products such as Second Life, Habbo Hotel and Bebo, or as seen in other entertainment industries such as special effects for television, videos and movies. Computer games are starting to fundamentally change the way people interact with computerised systems.Computers isn't limited to the areas where we most expect to find it such as business and industry. It's also being widely used in entertainment and arts world. These are almost as Sports: If there is a perfect way to pitch a ball, execute a spin on the ice, or take off from a ski jump, computers can find it. By analyzing the motions of the best athletes, sports trainers and kinetic specialists establish profiles. Other athletes can compare themselves to those profiles and try to improve their own styles and moves. Thus computer can be taken as a crucial element now in entertainment ndustry, with more and more multimedia content being planned, and built many applications as there are entertainers and artists. People look forward to the entertainment for recreation, so that they can reduce their stress and strains of their complex machine like schedules. All our traditional entertainment utilities like music, movies, sports, games, etc. are now affected by IT, one can have all these services, sitting at home and enjoying themselves. Computers are used in entertainment to create or enhance a production or performance.The tools have become so sophisticated that it's becoming almost impossible to distinguish between the real and the artificial in the film and the photography. Movies: If you have seen Titanic, matrix, Jurassic Park or cartoons on any TV channel, can you question the importance of Computers in the film industry? With the aid of sophisticated g raphics and animation packages the special effect technicians can create any illusion. Computers help in improving productivity by automating time consuming, repetitive and monotonous processes.They give the movie makers a lot by giving them the power to create the kind of special effects they want. Computers are widely used to create special effects in Big Budget movies. They are also extensively used behind the scenes to edit film during the production process. Scanners are generally used to help create complex twisting motions. New movies are developed using computer graphics, animations etc. which resemble real life events, thus reducing cost as well as time involved in the making of such movies. Music: The use of technology in the world of music is an unavoidable fact.Any musical composition that we hear today goes through a technological process at some point. Music allows you to edit recorded music or even create your own. With the computer connected to a stereo or synthesize r, you can be your own composer and audience. Both artist and sound engineers are finding novel applications for computer in their work. There are lot of Music Composition languages that provide ways to create music on a computer   some are Music, Symbolic, Composer, Fugue and so on which run on different platforms.Animations: In earlier days, Bugs and Bunny, the road Runner, were laboriously hand drawn in the hundred of the thousands of frame needed for each cartoon but now computers are doing much of the repetitions work. The computer can create outer space, alien characters, and extinct-animals and so on without the need of creating their physical models. The filmmaker then integrates these backgrounds and characters with   the real characters seamlessly. Example is Jurassic Park. .

The Double Door between Monsters and Heroes Essay

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Short Story Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Sample Exam Paper Questions - Essay Example Worthington and Britton (2009, p.6) define the macro environment as â€Å"those ... factors ...which affect a wide variety of businesses and which can emanate not only from local and national sources but also from international and supranational developments†. There are many variants, including different factors, but the framework to be used for this analysis is the STEEPLE framework, representing the Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal and Ethical factors that affect business and over which business has no control. A macro-environmental analysis is contained within the following diagram: Figure One: Macro-Environmental Analysis for UniQlo Expansion into the UK Consumer Behaviour The British retail culture is based around a consumption model that focuses on products and the image that such products convey when seen in conjunction with the consumer. Hoyer and MacInnis (2010) identify several components that make up the consumer’s cult ure: diversity, social class and household influences, psychographics (including values, personality and lifestyles, and social influences. They link these to the psychological core which includes motivation ability and opportunity; exposure, attention and perception; knowing and understanding; attitude formation and change; and memory and retrieval. This feeds into the process of making decisions (following a logical decision making process of problem recognition and information search, judgment and decision making and post-decision processes. The final element of the consumer’s culture is evidenced through the adoption of, resistance to and diffusion of innovations, symbolic consumer behaviour and ethics and the dark side of consumer behaviour. For the UK consumer where luxury fashion is control, diversity is affected by income levels and the need for luxury goods as part of their lifestyle. With the current austerity programme being implemented within the country, only tho se with a substantial income who will not be affected by such things as an increase in taxes, or a reduction of income, or both, will be able to indulge in luxury goods. The consumer market for UniQlo is therefore limited by levels of income, rather than by other indicators of diversity, such as race or religion. Social class and household influences will again be determined to a great extent by available income, whether generated by working or as income from investments. UniQlo will need to target the upper middle classes and above, who need luxury fashion items for social occasions or for their work appearance. Values in the UK appear to be undergoing substantial changes, including a more selfish outlook that sees those without work, for example, as scroungers rather than individuals who have simply lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The same applies to those who are homeless or disabled. The focus for personalities is, as mentioned previously, the consumption of goods that convey a particular image that works for the consumer. Lifestyles will be changing for the majority of the UK population as taxes increase for those earning up to six figures per annum, and benefits reduce for those who are out of work, disabled and/or homeless. Social influences are also changing, as more people begin to object to the austerity programme and the effects of that programme begin to take effect. There is the possibility of riots as the electorate become disenchanted with a coalition

BUSN U5IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BUSN U5IP - Research Paper Example Unit –5 Regression Analyses Introduction This assignment conducts three linear regression tests for three pairs of independent and dependent variables. The data used to conduct the tests were obtained from a survey conducted by AIU. The regression tests were conducted using Excel’s built-in function. The following paragraphs present the results and analyses of tests. Results of Tests Table 1 Regression Output of Variables Benefits vs. Intrinsic Job Satisfaction Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.030092219 R – Square 0.000905542 Adjusted R square -0.004408791 Standard Error 0.876576061 Observations 190    Coefficient Y- intercept 4.524522995 Slope 0.151207676 Note: Benefits = X; Intrinsic job satisfaction = Y Figure 1. Regression line Benefits vs. Intrinsic job satisfaction Table 2 Regression Output of Variables Benefits vs. Extrinsic Job Satisfaction Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.026855348 R – Square 0.00072121 Adjusted R square -0.004594103 Standar d Error 1.024951959 Observations 190    Coefficient Y- intercept 5.750215066 Slope -0.157769935 Note: Benefits = X; Extrinsic job satisfaction = Y Figure 2. Regression line Benefits vs. Extrinsic job satisfaction Table 3 Regression Output of Variables Benefits vs. ... nsic job satisfaction 0.15 4.52 Y = 4.52 + 0.15 X 0.000905542 Extrinsic job satisfaction -0.16 5.75 Y = 5.75 – 0.16 X 0.00072121 Overall job satisfaction -0.07 4.96 Y = 4.96 – 0.07 X 0.0001144390 Note: Benefits = X Analysis of Results and Conclusion The assignment conducted three separate linear regression analyses in order to establish a relationship between independent and dependent variables obtained through a survey. The relationship between the two variables, in this case, is expressed through the linear regression equation, y = a + bx. In this equation a is called intercept of Y-axis and b is called slope of the regression line (â€Å"University of New England†, n.d.). The slope indicates how changes in values of independent variable affect changes of dependent variable. The slope b may receive a positive or a negative value. A positive slope defines that the dependent variable increases as the independent increases while the negative implies dependent vari able decreases while the independent variable increases. Table 4 displays one positive and two negative slopes. Thus, Y = 4.52 + 0.15 X defines that both Benefits and Intrinsic job satisfaction move in the same direction, which suggests that the increase of benefits increases intrinsic job satisfaction. However, Y = 5.75 – 0.16 X defines that the variables Benefits and Extrinsic job satisfaction move in different directions. It means an increase of Benefits decreases extrinsic job satisfaction. Regression equations Y = 5.75 – 0.16 X, and Y = 4.96 – 0.07 X demonstrate negative relationships between independent and dependent variables while Y = 4.52 + 0.15 X displays positive relationship between independent and dependent variables. The Excel regression statistics evaluates linear correlation coefficient

Undocumented Students Essay Example for Free

Undocumented Students Essay There are thousands of undocumented students from different countries that migrate to the United States of America seeking a better way of life; however, the reality of that being possible is unlikely high. According an activist from the Lulac Association, over three million students graduate from U. S. high schools every year. Most get the opportunity to pursue a college degree, strive for their vocational goals, and reach for their American dream. Unfortunately, there are many students that see their dreams go down the drain for not having the right documentation to obtain a job and/or go to school. That is the main reason why undocumented students who are pursuing a higher education must be able to apply for a visa that can allow them to work on their field of study as well as to get financial aid, pay taxes, and become productive citizens who contribute to this country. This country is viewed as a melting pot for their many races, however, the reality is that even though they are many cultures, many believes, and nationalities, there are still some people in congress that do not believe in giving the immigrants the opportunity to growth professionally, and individually in this country even though this should be â€Å"a free country†; a country where people have freedom, a country of opportunities. Undocumented students should be able to obtain a visa to allow them to work for many reasons; one of them is for them to be able to get financial aid and pursue their dreams. There are many undocumented students that are in universities all over this country that are forced to dropped off for not having the money to continue paying for their education. It is a fact that undocumented students are only able to apply for state aid and many of the times the funds are not enough or they aren’t any. According to a financial representative at El Centro College, the maximum amount that a student applying for state aid can get a year is around $1,700. That money is not even enough for books; let me not mention that they are not able to et a job because they do not have the documentation to do so. If the government could at least pass the dream act; a bill that congress is attempting to provide immigration relief for undocumented youths through legislation known as the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act). The Act has been introduced in each subsequent Congressional session in various forms, for the last 10 years since 2001. Th e latest version passed the House in December 2010, but was defeated in the Senate. According to the PEW Hispanic Center in Washington, D. C, however, approximately 65,000 youths do not get this opportunity because they are smeared with the inherited label of being illegal immigrants. These youths have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want to be recognized as Americans. Yes, it would be great for this undocumented student to have the documentation that could allow them to better themselves and be productive to this country. But how do this students can be productive in this country if they are not allowed to? It is of major importance for this government to do something about this specific situation; there is a great need of open minds that are willing to support the legalization of millions of undocumented students. By giving this students the right to work and better themselves educationally, the economy in this country would get better; thousands of jobs would be created and the people that not report taxes would be able to do so and that would help stabilize the economy. I want to emphasize that in this country there is nothing free! Many republicans complain because according to them illegal people in this country do not pay taxes. It is a fact that even when you go grocery shopping there is a percentage of taxes that must be paid in addition to your purchase, if you own a home weather or not you are legal or not you must pay taxes every year for that property. Opponents should realize that not paying taxes is just an excuse and a migratory reform shouldn’t be an option but must be a law taken into action. I have a dream†, a famous quote from Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. whom devoted his life to stop segregation. If he would be alive is for a fact that he would fight for the rights of undocumented students to achieve a migratory reform. It is inhuman to have many professionals working in construction or and or cutting yards because they cannot work on their field of study. Legalization of undocumented students is a need that this country is no longer going to be ble to ignore. In conclusion, yes, undo cumented who are pursuing a higher education should be able obtain a visa that can allow them to work on their field of study as well as get financial aid because at the end of the day this country is going to rely on next generation’s capacity and education to help this economy get through this bad crisis. This kids/ young people are tomorrow’s future and they deserve an opportunity to prosper, to conquer, and to shine!

Community Illness Solution Essay Example for Free

Community Illness Solution Essay There has been an odd rise in similar and extensive illnesses in not only adults but children as well. This is becoming quite a concern for many of the residents in this community because that just means a rise in their chances of catching the illness to. If our community does not resolve the problem as soon as possible it will continue to spread and possibly affect the entire community. Upon further investigation into the reasoning or cause of this problem, I have found a legitimate reason why this is happening. I have discovered that the cause may be from the gas company’s malpractices either before the community came together or sometime afterwards. I found my reasoning by keeping an open mind and investigated any and every possibility there could be. The gas companies practices are the only issue I have found that could cause a problem such as the one in our community. As well, once I found that reasoning I looked also into the illnesses and what could have possibly caused them, and again I found that the problem with the gas company is the root cause for the illnesses. I have begun to spread the word about my discovery to make everyone in the community aware of the issue that has led to our problem. I believe that with the strength of our entire community we can unite and fight for our justice against the gas company who has caused our community such a great problem. My first idea in the fight for our justice is to go straight to the gas company and explain our findings and demand them to do something about the issue to help fix the problem. If our community cannot seem to meet an agreement with the gas company, I say we take it to a higher level. We need to possibly approach the mayor of our town or even the court system if we must. We need to keep our viewpoints open and not stick to what we think is going to resolve the problem because one idea may not instantly resolve our problem. We not only need to resolve the issue with the gas company, but need to find ways to help the families that have been plagued with the illness. I believe our community can set up a fundraiser of some sort to help raise money for the hospital bills and such that are a result of the illness. If our community does nothing about this problem we are never going to grow or thrive because no one beyond current residents will move here knowing of this plaguing illness. That would be horrible for our economy in this community, and we cannot just accept this problem. I believe we need to just go head to head with the problem and resolve it as a community. If we do not do anything our community is going to look weak and we will look like we gave up or that we are just a bunch of quitters. I won’t allow that to happen.