Benefits Of Using Halophytes Environmental Sciences Essay

Benefits Of Using Halophytes Environmental Sciences Essay The continual increase in world population, coupled with the expansion of salt affected lands into agricultural lands, places additional pressure on global agriculture to produce enough food to feed the growing population. Salt-tolerant plants, namely halophytes, provide a sensible alternative to increase productivity in saline lands where traditional crops such as wheat and canola are unproductive. Halophytes can also be used simultaneously for land rehabilitation. This review covers the physiology of halophytes that enable them to thrive in a salt-stressed environment as well as their uses in food production and phytoremediation of saline or contaminated lands. Introduction Global population is expected to increase by 2.6 billion over the next 40 years to 9.1 billion. In order to meet this growing demand for food and fiber, global agriculture is tasked to increase its productivity by more than 110 %. (FAO, 2005). Expanding cultivation into new areas is undesirable mainly due to the detrimental environmental impacts associated with it. The removal and disturbances of these previously uncultivated areas can have wide ranging and long-term consequences to the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via deforestation and eutrophication etc. (Tilman, 1999). As such, improving crop productivity per unit area of existing cultivated land is critical to feed the growing population. However, due to land degradations of cultivated areas worldwide, agriculture is gradually being pushed to marginal and salt-affected lands. Globally, these saline lands cover an area of 831 million hectares, and spans all continents including Africa, Asia, Australasia as well as the Americ as (Rengasamy, 2006). In Western Australia alone, 6.5 million hectares of agricultural land are at risk of dryland salinity due to land degradation (ANRA, 2002), and traditional crops such as wheat and canola will then be unproductive to be farmed. Halophytes are plants capable of surviving and being productive in a saline environment. As such, halophytes can be grown in saline areas in which traditional crops falter, as well as in regions increasingly affected by dryland salinity. Although halophytes constitute a small percentage of the known plant population, they play a number of useful roles in the environment. The first part of this review focuses on the physiology of halophytes that allow them to succeed in a saline environment, and the second part discusses the potential uses of halophytes in increasing global food production, either directly as a food source or through their phytoremediatary capabilities. Halophytes are highly specialized and evolved plants capable of acquiring nutrients from a high salt environment in which glycophytes (salt-sensitive plants) are either unproductive or unable to survive. In this first part of the review, the physiology of halophytes, in particular ion compartmentation, production of organic solutes, salt glands and bladders, as well as leaf and shoot succulence is discussed. Physiology of Halophytes Ion compartmentation Intracellular cytosolic enzymes in both glycophytes and halophytes are equally sensitive to salt (Glenn and Brown, 1999). Under typical physiological conditions, high cytosolic K+/Na+ ratio is maintained (Tester and Davenport, 2003) to ensure normal cellular functions. The maintenance of this ratio in the plants cytosol is energy dependent, and is mediated by pathways for Na+ extrusion or by compartmentation of Na+ into the vacuole (Blumwald, 2000). Unlike glycophytes, halophytes have developed mechanisms to sequester excess Na+ into the vacuoles to avoid Na+ toxicity in the cytosol. The transport of Na+ into the vacuoles is mediated by cation/H+ antiporters driven by the electrochemical gradient of protons generated by the vacuolar H+ translocating enzymes such as H+-ATPase (Gaxiola et al., 2007). These transporters play an essential role in the sequestering Na+ ions into the vacuole or exclusion outside the cell of the halophytes, ultimately allowing them to tolerate much higher sa lt concentrations compared to the glycophytes. Production of compatible solutes Solute transport is a process regulated by environmental and endogenous signals. Environmental stresses such as salinity affects solute transport in plants and can cause changes in the partitioning of carbon and nitrogen. In addition to compartmentalizing extra salt in its vacuoles, halophytes can produce organic solutes. These osmotically active solutes are synthesized in order to maintain normal cellular functions in response to a drop in the osmotic potential within the plant (Glenn and Brown, 1999). Depending on the halophyte species, a variety of organic solutes ranging from proline, sucrose to pipecolatebetaine (Rhodes and Hanson, 1993) can be produced. Unlike inorganic solutes such as Na+, these compounds do not induce toxicity even at high concentrations (Ashraf and Foolad, 2007), and serves as a key adaptation to halophytes survival in a saline environment. Salt glands and bladders As an adaptation to saline environments, halophytes frequently have specialized structures designed for extruding salt from tissues. Salt glands and bladders play an important role in internal ion regulation by transporting ions away from the mesophyll cells to the leaf surfaces. Once deposited on the leaves, crystallization occurs and the salt crystals are washed or blown away. Salt glands Salt glands consist of several specialized cells and are located in the depressions of leaf epidermis. When grown in highly saline environments such as seawater, the excreted ions are typically Na+ and Cl-, and excretion increases with increased levels of salinity. Found in both halophytic monocotyledons and dicotyledons (Khan and Weber, 2006), these glands allow for massive amount of salt to be removed and are important organs for salt management. Salt bladders Salt bladders are derived from modified epidermal hairs and typically have a stalk cell and a bladder cell. Stalk cells serve as ion transporters from mesophyll cells to the bladder cells. As salts accumulate in the bladder cells, expansion occurs until they burst. The bursting action allows salt to be discharged on leaf surfaces. By accumulating salt in the bladder cells, ion toxicity is prevented from building up in the mesophyll cells and this constitutes an important mechanism for the protection of young leaves. This specialized organ is a common feature on the salt tolerant halophytes in the family Chenopodiaceae, and includes the saltbushes (Atriplex sp.) (Khan and Weber, 2006). Leaf and stem succulence Highly vacuolated and large cells resulting in fleshy or thick leaves and stems are a common feature in halophytes. Despite the poor understanding of the anatomical response leading to succulence, Na+ ions are believed to be responsible (Khan and Weber, 2006). Succulence is not confined to halophytes alone. Non-halophytic plants, such as the cotton, increase succulence when grown at a high salt concentration. Despite its succulence, plant growth is still impaired by high levels of salt. In contrast, the Atriplex spp., in conjunction with its salt bladders, utilizes succulence as additional storage for excess salts, and thus reduces ionic toxicity on the mesophyll cells. Saline agriculture Naturally salt-tolerant species are used in agriculture, mainly to provide forage, medicine, and aromatics (Qadir et al., 2008). In Australia, Barrett-Lennard (2002) identified 26 salt-tolerant plant species of potential economic value to agriculture. Examples of these useful halophytes include the potential oil-seed crops Kosteletzkya virginica, Salvadora persica, Salicornia bigelovii, and Batis maritime. Useful fodder crops include Atriplex spp., Distichlis palmeri and biofuels (Flowers et al. 2010). In addition, growing halophytic biofuel crops on saline agricultural land would help to counter concerns that the biofuel industry reduces the amount of land available for food production (Qadir et al., 2008). This second part of the review explores the potential uses of halophytes in the context of Australia in increasing food production directly as a food source or through their phytoremediatary capabilities in abiotic stress management. Saltland pastures Halophytes grown on saline agricultural land helps improve site productivity by providing ground cover to prevent erosion as well as increase the organic contents in saline soils. Atriplex species are now widely used throughout the Meditteranean areas, including Australia, for the purpose of rehabilitating saline land and to increase forage productivity. Saltland pastures provide fresh feed for the entire year, including the summer months in Australia. Furthermore, many studies have been done on halophyte species that can be used for fodder, in particular Atriplex nummularia, A. halimus and A. lentiformis (Choukr-Allah, 1997). These three species are now well established in the Meditteranean basin. When used in conjunction with deep-rooted perennials such as Eucalyptus occidentalis, halophytes can help to restore the hydrologic balance on areas affected by dryland salinity. This can potentially allow vast areas to be reclaimed (Barrett, 2000) and subsequently used to plant traditiona l crops such as wheat and barley. Halophytes as food sources Oilseed crops are grown for the oil contained in the seeds. Seeds of various halophyte species, such as Salicornia bigelovii, Haloxylon stocksii, and Halogeton glomeratus contain 70-80% of high quality and unsaturated edible oil (Ladeiro, 2012). A controversial species underutilized for its edible qualities is Diplotaxis tenuifolia (Rocket). Rocket is widely used in Europe where it is regarded as a delicacy. It is naturally adapted to Mediterranean-type climate, including saline and dry ecosystems. Rocket is able to compete strongly with other pasture plants and can reproduce via seeds and root fragments. Studies have shown that it is able to grow and reproduce at salinity levels of up to 300 mM NaCl, and can be grown at levels up to 100 mM NaCl without losing its nutritional values (Ladeiro, 1997). In Australia, however, rocket is regarded as an agricultural weed found mainly in poorer pastures in the Eyre Peninsular of South Australia and Victoria (DAFWA, 2007). Thus, if Rocket is to be used as a food source in Australia, proper containment strategies must be in placed to prevent it from spreading into unwanted areas. Halophytes in abiotic stress management Desalination of saline soil As dryland salinity increasingly affects huge areas of cultivated land, numerous physical, chemical and biological methods have been developed for reclaiming these saline soils (Shahid, 2002). Biological methods include crop rotation, inputs of organic manure as well as the use of salt-tolerant crops (Shahid, 2002). The ability of plants to accumulate huge amounts of salt is highly dependent on the capacity of their aboveground biomass (Rabhi et al., 2010). This ability is especially important in the drier regions of Australia where rainfed systems are used and rainfall events are not reliable enough to reduce the salt concentration in the rhizosphere (Shahid, 2002). Halophytes are the most important group of plants used in soil desalination due to its salt accumulating and salt-tolerant characteristics. High salt resistance, high aboveground biomass, and high degrees of economic utility (fuel, fiber, and oil seeds etc.) (Rabhi et al., 2010) are key requirements to assess a plants us efulness in desalination. Sesuvium portulacastrum is a naturally occurring halophyte species in western Australia. Most importantly, it is able to accumulate huge quantities of Na+ within its aboveground organs. In addition, Sesuvium portulacastrum has been used in other parts of the world for desalination of salt-affected lands (Patil et al., 2012) and should be studied further in the context of Australia for similar purposes. Phytoremediation In cultivated soils, contamination by heavy metals (i.e. Zn, CU, Cd, Fe, As, etc.) is a serious environmental problem. Throughout evolutionary history, plants have developed various detoxification mechanisms in response to allelochemicals produced by competing organisms. Thus, a biological method of rehabilitating contaminated lands utilize plants to decontaminate affected sites and is termed phytoremediation. Phytoremediation exploits the natural ability of plants to absorb, accumulate, storage and degradation of both organic and / or inorganic compounds. In this regard, halophytes show the most success in terms of adaptations to a variety of abiotic stresses including heavy metal stress. Mechanism of phytoremediation Physical removal and bioconversion of compounds by plants are termed phytoextraction and phytotransformation or phytodegradation respectively. Phytoextraction utilizes the plants ability to take up a range of chemical compounds through the root system, translocate them through the vascular tissues and eventually compartmentalizing these compounds in different organs such as leaves and stems. For a compound to be readily available to a plant, soil conditions e.g. clay content and pH play a crucial role. Incorporation of soil amendments e.g. lime has been shown to increase the availability of lead (Pb) and uranium (U) by more than 100-fold (Chen et al., 1998). Using this approach, successful remediation of agricultural soils contaminated with selenium (Se) in the US had been recorded (Eapen et al., 2006). Similarly, the Australian saltbush (Atriplex nummularia var. De Koch) has been successfully used in rehabilitating mercury-contaminated sites, with studies showing undetectable levels of mercury just 72 hours after plant introduction (Khondaker and Caldwell, 2003). The compartmentation of metals into the aerial organs of the plant allows for easy harvesting and can be processed to reclaim economically important metals or disposed off as hazardous waste in landfills. Phytochelatins (PCs) play a crucial role in phytodegradation and phytotransformation. PC production in plants is stimulated by the presence of heavy metals. PCs are metal-binding peptides and works by mobilizing heavy metal compounds in the cytosol and then sequestering PC metal complexes in the vacuoles of plant cells. Upon absorption of heavy metal compounds, PCs and enzymes such as e.g. oxygenase, peroxidases and reductases etc. are produced in large quantities. Degradation of these heavy metal compounds occurs and the biodegraded constituents are then converted into inert forms stored in the lignin or released as exudates (Watanabe, 1997). In phytotransformation, the absorbed heavy metal compounds are biochemically bonded by PCs and enzymes to cell tissues in inert forms where they are eventually compartmentalized (Watanabe, 1997). In Australia, great success in the use of native Halosarcia pergranulata to revegetate old mining areas has been recorded. Conclusion: Going into the future Sustainable agriculture is continuously threatened by the decreasing availability of freshwater and arable land. Global agriculture is pressured further by the demand for more food by the growing population. In addition, saline agriculture will be of particular importance to Mediterranean countries, including Australia, due to the widespread increase in soil degradation and unfavourable climatic conditions. With these issues, saline agriculture involving the use of halophytes plays a crucial emerging role. Halophytes have demonstrated their importance with is wide range of uses ranging from food production to phytoremediation of stressed environment. By growing and developing agriculture on marginal saline lands, halophytes can help augment the global sources of food, forage, medicine and plant-based chemicals for the growing population. By understanding the stress mechanisms in halophytes, the knowledge can be used in extracting valuable genes for transgenic manipulation in traditional crops.

Sparta: Uncultured Discipline Essay -- essays research papers

Sparta: Uncultured Discipline The Spartans were the most formidable warriors in all of history. They dedicated their entire lives to warfare. They were taught to endure cold, hunger, pain, their courage on the battlefield was second to none. The Spartan code was to fight hard, follow orders without question and to die rather then retreat or surrender. To achieve all this, Sparta sacrificed everything; the arts, culture, and other things that make life worth while. I believe the price was to high they went to far and shut off all that was creative and human in Sparta. A culture that can't change or adapt doesn't survive. This is exactly what happened , after a single major defeat in 360 B.C Sparta was no longer a significant factor in the region (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 178). The original founders of "modern" Sparta were the Dorians. At around 1100 B.C these savages came from the north into what is today Greece. They attacked the Mycenean civilization thriving there and quickly defeated them. The secret behind the remarkable victories against the Myceneans was iron, the Dorians knew how to forge iron weapons which completely outclassed the bronze weaponry of the Myceneans (Carl Roebuck, 1966, p. 119). In Mycenean times Sparta had been a important city, but after Dorian conquest it sank to insignificance. Over the next three hundred years it recovered and began to prosper. By 800 B.C it ruled over the region called Lacedonia. Up to about 650 B.C Sparta was pretty much like every other Greek state. They had music, art and poetry. During the seventh century, a musician named Terpander came to Sparta and established himself their. He is called the "father of Greek music," he's also supposed to off improved the lyre (a harp like instrument). The most widely known Spartan musician was Tyrtaeus. He lived during the Second Messenian War and his music inspired many Spartan soldiers to new heights of bravery (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 53). But then something happened, a war with the Messinians. The First Messenian War broke out in 730 B.C, when the Spartans marched into Messenia eager for more land. After 20 long years of war the Messenians were forced to surrender. They were made into helots (slave... ...sp; In order to achieve military glory the Spartans gave up nearly everything. Later on Greeks from other city states admired the Spartan way of life because it seemed so noble. They were wrong to think this way, to art, music, literature and other such pursuits they donated nothing. She only had a cruel, inhuman way of life to offer, dependent on a barbaric slavery of most of her population, with only a kind of blind animal courage as a virtue. Before long the Spartan way of life was more show then substance, Sparta seemed strong as long she was victorious, but other states could survive defeat and rise again. After a single major defeat (against Thebes) Sparta lost her domination of Greece. This catastrophic loss exposed the Spartan fraud and disposed of her. Reference List - Asimov, Issac. (1965). The Greeks A Great Adventure. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company - Hillyer V.M, E.G Huey. (1966). Ancient World 500 BC - 500 AD. New York: Meredith Press - National Georgraphic Society. (1968). Greece and Rome Builders of Our World. Washington D.C: Author - Roebuck, Carl. (1966). The World of Ancient Times. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons

Generational Differences at the Workplace

The article that I have chosen for my assignment is called â€Å"Generational differences in the workplace: personal values, behaviors, and popular beliefs. † It was published recently in the Journal of Diversity Management. The main purpose of this paper was to identify the most significant differences between three generations of present employees: Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y, using popular and academic literature. These differences were then analyzed using the results of the Rokeach Value Survey, which included 5057 interviews with people from every group. According to the results, the information received from the research was very similar to other widely-spread opinions on this topic. The differences found between these three generations were quite typical and this implies that managers have not only to remember about such age-specific diversity but put a lot of efforts to be able to successfully hire and retain employees from every above-mentioned group. People from these generations usually see the world in a very different way as they have been influenced by different factors during the age of making up of their personality. That is why they should be managed in specific ways, adjusted to their core values and desires and some of the possible ways are considered in the closing part of this article. Main part: According to Manheim (1953) a generation can be defined as a group of people born and raised in the same general chronological, social and historical context. Nowadays, many companies are faced with challenging problems concerning the rising amount of conflicts in the workplace between people of different age. This is one of the obstacles of the generation diversity, that should be treated very carefully as it has an enormous impact on the social life of any company. The article offers us a survey conducted among 5057 employees of various age in order to understand the principal distinctions between three generations, to better realize their core values, beliefs and expectations from life and, what is more important for the employers – their expectations from their jobs. As it was already mentioned in the Introduction these three generations are the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-80) and Generation Y (born since 1980). Baby Boomers present the largest group of employees nowadays. These are people who mostly rejected their parents' values in their earlier years. According to Loyalty Factor President Dianne Durkin â€Å"They invented work as self-fulfillment and proving themselves, and have defined themselves by their careers† (ref. â„â€" 4). Usually they can be described as self-absorbed, loyal and competitive workaholics. They usually have leading roles in the company, holding top-level management positions. In addition to this they are competent, effective but usually have quite conservative type of thinking and do not like to accept any changes. Generation X people are mostly very confident and independent, as the environment where they were brought-up had changed a lot. These children usually came home after school alone as their parents were working the whole day. And this was one of the main factors that led to the creation of a freedom-loving and self-reliant generation. According to the article â€Å"Managing Different Generations at Work† (ref. â„â€" 3) these people view work just as a job. They work to live, not on the contrary and they want to balance their lives. That is why they need to be given freedom and autonomy, maybe some support, but not the guidance. A clear mission and well-defined goals should be created for Xers. They are very cynical by nature and are usually not concerned with the words like loyalty and trust that is why they tend to change jobs very often. Probably the most interesting generation of these three is the last one – Generation Y, as these young people represent the future. This generation was brought-up on computers, internet and TV programs. They are optimistic, realistic, globally aware and easily accept diversity and innovations. According to the article â€Å"Get ready for a new type of worker in the workplace: the net generation† by MarkL. AIch, Ph. D (ref â„â€" 6) the members of the newest generation hold respect for people who can demonstrate expertise and knowledge, but not just thanks to someone’s rang or age. They are more interested in utilizing their expertise and skills, want to participate in decision making and have a need to collaborate and to establish an interconnectivity with others. This may also be confirmed by the article â€Å"Managing Generation Y† by Rick Weber (ref â„â€" 12) where he states that these people feel great about themselves. And when you think about how to prepare the next generation to move into leadership roles they are already thinking about buying the company. They also want to learn from others, because they are curious. So the best way to retain these young talents is to spend time in guiding, directing, and supporting them, and giving them the wisdom they cannot get from anywhere else. It is interesting to see some peculiarities in the results of the Rokeach Value Survey mentioned in the given article. According to its results, Family Security and Health are on the first two positions for every generation. Freedom is very important for both X and Y generations, but is quite insignificant for the Boomers. Gen X’s value for pleasure is higher than others, and Gen Y ranked Independence much higher than two other generations. Other significant differences in ranking preferences include Open-mindedness which has a very low position in the Boomers’ rank. As we can observe now, the results from the survey correlate strongly with a general description of every generation. Thus, we can state that there are some typical differences between Baby Boomers generation, Generation X and Generation Y which should obviously be taken into account by the managers who have to deal with employees from these various groups. They need to know what their workers want, what they need and how to occupy them as this is essential for the successful and effective work of the whole company. Implications: For sure, there are many challenges created by having multiple generations in the workplace, but if the correct approaches could be found, the goal of creating an efficient, effective and sustainable business model that uses the best qualities within each of the three generations can be achieved. Baby boomers are characterized as loyal hard workers usually taking high positions. They can be probably motivated by money, promotion options and social approval. Referring to the article â€Å"Managing Baby Boomers† by D. Quinn Mills and Mark D Cannon (ref â„â€" 8) this generation can be attracted and motivated by several approaches. First, it is important for managers to be sensitive to employees’ needs and interests and provide the variety of challenges and experiences to keep the job interesting. Another good tip is to treat them as professional because Baby Boomers usually consider themselves professionals and want to be respected for their individual skills. They like to have responsible tasks and have opportunities for further development. Some other steps could be to create individually oriented reward system, to provide opportunities to develop relationships adopt a more participative management style and try to reduce conflict through understanding. The distinctive features of Generation X are their independence, self-reliance and lack of trust. That is why managers should try to make their work more meaningful and fun. According to the article â€Å"Managing our future: The generation X factor† by Gary O’Bannon (ref â„â€" 9) managers need to support Xers’ style of thinking, learning and communicating, and respect the unique perspective they bring to the workplace. Maybe Xers should be granted more day-to-day autonomy and enough creative responsibility to imagine problems in their own terms. Here I would like to give an example of a global management consultant company Accenture (ref. â„â€" 11) that realized how time flexibility may significantly increase the level of satisfaction of their workers. For that reason they introduced an idea of Future Leave which gives the employees a possibility once in three years to take 1 to 3 months of self-funded sabbatical and use it as they wish. Some similar steps may be undertaken to satisfy Generation X’s necessity in independence, because it gives them time to rethink their values and feel more comfortable and appreciated. The Generation Y is raised on computers and constant changes in the world. Therefore they need to satisfy their high ambitions, curiosity and need of innovation. Referring to the article â€Å"The Net Generation Takes the Lead† (ref. 10) the trend in the companies should be toward networks, not hierarchies, toward open collaboration rather than command, toward consensus rather than arbitrary rule, and toward enablement rather than control. Learning has to be part of work and these people should always be given the possibility to offer new ideas, to innovate. They should be given interesting and challenging tasks, and in addition to this their opinion should be appreciated as they will never stay in a place where they do not have right to participate in decision-making and add value in the future of the company. However, simply because people are from same generation does not automatically mean they will all share the same generational characteristics. That is why managers should treat every person individually, based on who this person really is, but not on whom he or she should be according to their belonging to any kind of groups or generations. Only doing that way, the company will be able to manage diversity in a right way.

Islam Definition Essay

For the past few months I have been overseas working in the wonderful country of India. I’ve observed many different things; many unusual things about this country. India has a wide variety of cultures and religions. The holiday I have learned about is called Hajj. Hajj means ‘to set out for a place’. Hajj is the pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah or also called Mecca , Saudi Arabia, and is one of the five basic requirements of Islam. It is a religious high point of a Muslim’s life and is an event that every Muslim dreams of being part of. Hajj is a religious obligation to be fulfilled at least once in the course of the life of each Muslim law grants, and is a series of detailed rituals. It is a Muslims obligation to be mindful of their friends and family and to all humans whatsoever. Islamic followers believe that every nation should have a unity so they can all worship God. They believe that through culture people will come together as a whole to praise God, and learn each other’s difficulties. All official duties are suppose to be completed between the ninth and thirteenth day of Hajj. There are three main pillars that are to be performed during Hajj. The first pillar is to get into a state of â€Å"Ihram† and intend to perform the pilgrimage. The second pillar is to stay at the field of â€Å"Arafat† on the ninth day of Hajj. If the person cannot complete the pilgrimage then he/she will have to try to complete it the following year. The third pillar is additional circling of the â€Å"Ka’ba† which is done after the first pillar and is performed from the tenth day of Hajj till the end of the month. These past couple months in India have been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot of new things, which has been something different for me. I would love to come back and visit all of the people that I have met, because everyone was so nice. Learning about the Hajj was very interesting to me, and I will go back and share all of my experiences with everyone back home.

How to Get Your PSAT Score Report

How to Get Your PSAT Score Report SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips How do you get your PSAT score report? Can you view it online? The PSAT score report works a bit differently than your typical SAT or ACT report. We will walk through how to get your report and what to do once you have it. When Do PSAT Scores Come Out? How Will I Get My Report? PSAT results from 2018 will be available online in December of 2019. You'll be able to see your scores online through your College Board account. (If you haven't made one already, you can register for a College Board account here. You'll use this account to sign up for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests, and you'll receive your AP Scores here too.) If you don't have a College Board account or have trouble accessing your scores, your guidance counselor can give you an access code for your online PSAT score report. Also, you should receive an old-fashioned paper score report at school by the end of January. What's on the PSAT Score Report? Your score report includes your overall composite score, as well as your score on each section (Reading, Writing and Language, and Math). The score reports have an extremely detailed breakdown of your strengths and weaknesses. There are also percentile rankings to see where you stand compared to students nationwide, both overall and for specific skills. You're also provided witha personalized SAT Study Plan based on questions you answered incorrectly or omitted on the PSAT. You can review those questions and then access other SAT practice questions to help you prepare for the SAT. There is also a personality profiler to help match you up with college majors and careers, and a feature that matches you with colleges you may be interested in, based on your potential SAT scores and your desired college location and size. The main benefit of the more detailed analysis of your results is access topersonalized SAT study on the Khan Academy website. This includes targeted practice based on your weaker areas. Finally, there's a feature that predicts AP courses you may do well in based on your results. This might be handy, but we recommend mainly using the PSAT report to get ready for the SAT. If your report encourages you to sign up for an AP class you were already considering, go for it! But you should base your AP course load on other factors, including colleges you want to get into and your own personal interests and strengths. What’s the Best Way to Use the Report? We have a more detailed post on how to interpret and use your PSAT scores, but these are the basic principles of getting the most out of your PSAT score report. P is for Practice PSAT stands for Practice SAT, and that’s really how you should consider your scores. The PSAT was just your first attempt at the SAT. Don't assume your scores are a perfect prediction of your future SAT scores. They're not. However, they can give you insight into your strengths and weaknesses, which is very helpful as you begin to study for the real SAT. Also, you should mainly use your PSAT results to help you study for the SAT. The AP prediction feature College Board is adding is cool, but don’t let that rule how you create your schedule. AP tests are very different than general achievement tests like the SAT, so you should think about them separately. Bottom line? Use your PSAT results to help you prepare for the SAT (or your junior year PSAT, if you’re going for National Merit). Don't Stress Over a Low Score Don’t be stressed if you think your score is low – colleges will not see your PSAT scores. They will see your SAT score (if you take it instead of the ACT, that is), so focus on using the PSAT score report as a study guide for the SAT. Don't waste time moping over a low score. Since taking the PSAT already gives you lots of data on your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the test, it will be easier to jump into SAT studying. If you have work to do in all areas, you could start by getting a quality, all-around prep book or checking out SAT study websites. If you really struggled in one subject, for example math, it’s not too early to seek out specific resources like prep books for math. Also, if you took the PSAT as a sophomore and you’re hoping to qualify for National Merit junior year, you can use SAT study materials to prepare for the PSAT. The stresswill fade eventually. Don't Let a Great Score Go To Your Head If you happened to get an excellent score on the PSAT, don’t assume you don’t have to study for the SAT – the SAT is more difficult than the PSAT. It’s longer, contains harder questions, and, if you choose to take the SAT with Writing, contains an additional essay. A high PSAT score is encouraging, but a high score on a real SAT practice test would be even better. Be prepared to put in some time studying for the SAT to get a score as high as your predicted PSAT score. What’s Next? Read more about the PSAT scores you need to qualify for National Merit, and how to get the scholarship. Wondering what content differences there are between the PSAT and SAT? Learn more about how the two tests compare to one another here. What would it take to get a perfect SAT score? Read a guide by our resident perfect scorer to find out. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Halle Edwards About the Author Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Reflective case study on the movie a beautiful mind Essay

Reflective case study on the movie a beautiful mind - Essay Example He does not publish and claims that until he finds for himself an original idea, he would not do so. He and fellow graduate students visit a bar to approach a group of women. His inspiration comes from here. Though Hansen proposes that every individual should make their individual approach, Nash opposes this idea and argues that each one would have better chances of success when they adopt a collective approach. Through this, he conceives the idea of ‘governing dynamics’ which he then publishes. Following this success, an opportunity for an appointment to MIT arises where Sol and Bender accompany him. Years later, Nash gets an invitation to the pentagon to unveil an encrypted enemy telecommunication. Unlike other code breakers, Nash breaks the code mentally. This astonishes everyone, including the other code breakers. His regular duties at the University are uninteresting to him and he considers the chores below his intellectual capability. He then obtains a new assignme nt with William Parker, a mysterious supervisor at the U. S. Department of defense to decipher patterns in newspapers and magazines to help thwart a plot by the Soviet Union. During this assignment, he becomes obsessed with this work and begins to think himself as being pursued when he delivers the results. At this time, he is asked out for dinner by a student-Alicia Larde and this culminates in love. Returning from Princeton, he comes across Charles, his former roommate who encourages him to get married to Alicia. After witnessing a shootout between the Soviet forces and Parcher, Nash begins to fear for his life. He feels at this point like quiting, but Parcher manages to let him stay. During a period of delivering a lecture at Harvard University, Nash makes an attempt to flee from whom he perceives as foreign agents, Dr. Rosen leading them. Upon an attempt to punch the figure that he perceives as Rosen, he forcibly gets sedated and sent to a psychiatric unit. However, he holds the belief that the facility is a property of the Soviets who are interested in obtaining information from him. Dr. Rosen, however, informs Alicia that Dr. Nash is schizophrenic and also that Marcee, Charles and Parcher are only existent in his imagination. Upon investigation, Alicia confronts Nash with the documents he delivered in the secret mailbox, unopened. He is then given an insulin shock therapy and then gets obtains parole. Following the side effects of the antipsychotic drugs, he stops taking them altogether. He relapses and again meets Dr. Parcher. In 1994, Professor Nash gets an honor for his profound achievements in mathematics. He won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for having done a revolutionary work on the game theory. The end of the movie happens when Nash and Alicia walk down the auditorium in Stockholm. Nash sees Parcher, Marcee and Charles watching him( Howard, 2001) The axis for John Nash- John Nash suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. According to Frangou ( 2008), schizophrenia is a term replacing and synonymous to dementia praecox, which denotes psychosis, and characterized by changes in thought content, perception, thought processes (like hallucinations and perceptions) and general anhedonia to other people and the outside world, and with excessive focus on one’s own mental life. It is now considered a wide spectrum of disorders, rather than one disease and with reasonable distinction between process and

Gender equity in science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender equity in science - Essay Example The exact ratio is 10:24 favoring boys. II. Discussion From the data there seems not much difference in treatment between the boys and the girls in terms of interactions with the teacher. The slight variation in the ratio of interactions to the number of students by gender does not seem to be that significant, given the small sample of tallies made, and the small class size. The tallies ratio by gender roughly corresponds to the student ratio by gender. Taking a step back we look at the literature to inform us about the nature of gender equity in science in general, and in particular, science education and the science classroom. There seems to be much focus on this subject in the literature, with some studies, for instance, finding out that gender equity in science and in the classroom in general is something that requires concrete interventions to achieve. The implication is that without intervening the natural state o affairs is that of the lack of equity along gender lines, with t he status quo tilting towards a more favorable view of males, and a less than equal treatment of the females. The foundation of the inequity is said to rest in some geographies, as cited here, on some deeply-rooted stereotypes about the superiority of boys in terms of intellectual abilities (Esiobu, 2011, pp. 244-257). The same bias and stereotypes are noted in other studies, pointing to the need for interventions such as educating teachers and students about the presence of such stereotypes and about actively going against those stereotypes in order to achieve gender equity in science education, as well as technology education. Science is to be a venue for both boys and girls in an environment where there is an active role on the part of the system to counter the stereotypes and the weight of tradition regarding the inferior treatment of females (Wokocha, 2009, pp. 51-54). The inequity meanwhile is accepted in the literature as a long-standing problem, and something that has been w restled with and minutely studied by way of finding solutions and interventions to narrow down the inequity and level out the playing field between genders in the classroom as well as in the laboratory. By laboratory here is meant life after the classroom, and in the professional science arenas where, as a rule, boys outnumber girls as well. The problem is said to be rooted in inequities to be found at every step of the process that advances students from the classroom all the way to the professional stages of the science career. Interventions at every step of the process have been crafted and tried, and documented in the literature, with heavy emphasis on inequities in the classroom. This thorough look at the inequities and the proliferation of the literature on teaching interventions point to the gravity and to the importance of the issue for the general science and education communities (Brunner, 1998, p. 120; Gerhard, 1995, p. 53). In particular, one piece of literature collates at least 192 different methods and interventions to foster classroom equity in science education along gender lines, with emphasis on many different aspects of inequity, and many different areas of the learning process where the inequity exists. These interventions are baked into the curricula for science education along different levels, and are woven into different classroom and learning activities, such as reading, research, the conduct of surveys, and other classroom-related activities. These intervent