Platybelodon - Facts and Figures

Platybelodon - Facts and Figures Name: Platybelodon (Greek for flat tusk); pronounced PLAT-ee-BELL-oh-don Habitat: Swamps, lakes and rivers of Africa and Eurasia Historical Epoch: Late Miocene (10 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 10 feet long and 2-3 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Flat, shovel-shaped, joined tusks on lower jaw; possible prehensile trunk About Platybelodon As you may have guessed from its name, Platybelodon (Greek for flat tusk) was a close relative of Amebelodon (shovel-tusk): both of these prehistoric elephants presumably used their flattened lower tusks to dig up the moist vegetation along the flooded plains, lakebeds and riverbanks of late Miocene Africa and Eurasia, about 10 million years ago. The main difference between the two was that Platybelodons fused silverware was much more advanced than Amebelodons, with a broad, concave, serrated surface that bore an uncanny resemblance to a modern spork; measuring about two or three feet long and a foot wide, it certainly gave this prehistoric proboscid a pronounced underbite. Recent scholarship has challenged the claim that Platybelodon wielded its lower tusk like a spork, digging this appendage deep into the muck and dredging up hundreds of pounds of vegetation. It turns out that Platybelodons double lower tusk was much more densely and robustly built than would have been required for this simple task; an alternative theory is that this elephant grasped the branches of trees with its trunk, then swung its massive head back and forth to scythe down the tough plants underneath, or eve strip and eat bark. (You can thank Henry Fairfield Osborn, the one-time director of the American Museum of Natural History, for the trunkless dredging scenario, which he popularized in the 1930s.)

Sphinx Moths, Family Sphingidae

Sphinx Moths, Family Sphingidae Members of the family Sphingidae, the sphinx moths, attract attention with their large size and ability to hover. Gardeners and farmers will recognize their larvae as the pesky hornworms that can wipe out a crop in a matter of days. All About Sphinx Moths Sphinx moths, also known as hawkmoths, fly fast and strong, with rapid wingbeats. Most are nocturnal, though some will visit flowers during the day. Sphinx moths are medium to large in size, with thick bodies and wingspans of 5 inches or more. Their abdomens typically end in a point. In sphinx moths, the hindwings are markedly smaller than the forewings. Antennae are thickened. Sphinx moth larvae are called hornworms, for a harmless but pronounced horn on the dorsal side of their hind ends. Some hornworms do significant damage to agricultural crops, and are therefore considered pests. In their final instars, sphinx moth caterpillars can be quite large, some measuring as long as your pinky finger. Classification of Sphinx Moths Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – LepidopteraFamily - Sphingidae The Sphinx Moth Diet Most adults nectar on flowers, extending a long proboscis to do so. Caterpillars feed on a range of host plants, including both woody and herbaceous plants. Sphingid larvae usually have specific host plants, rather than being generalist feeders. The Sphinx MothLife Cycle Female moths lay eggs, usually singly, on host plants. Larvae may hatch within a few days or several weeks, depending on species and environmental variables. When the caterpillar reaches its final instar, it pupates. Most Sphingid larvae pupate in the soil, though some spin cocoons in leaf litter. In places where winter occurs, Sphingid moths overwinter in the pupal stage. Special Adaptations and Defenses of Sphinx Moths Some sphinx moths nectar on pale, deep flowers, employing an unusually long proboscis. The proboscis of certain Sphingidae species can measure a full 12 inches long. Sphinx moths are also famous for their ability to hover at flowers, much like hummingbirds. In fact, some Sphingids resemble bees or hummingbirds and can move sideways and stop in midair. Range and Distribution of Sphinx Moths Worldwide, over 1200 species of sphinx moths have been described. About 125 species of Sphingidae live in North America. Sphinx moths live on all continents except Antarctica.

Zara Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Zara Company Analysis - Essay Example This marketing report presents a set for recommendations for the fashion retailer, Zara. These recommendations are based on the analysis of external and internal environment. The analysis of the external environment relies on theories such as the PESTLE Analysis and Porter’s Value Chain Analysis. The analysis of the internal environment relies on the analysis of the company using Resource/ Capabilities Analysis and Value Chain Analysis. Zara is a fashion retailer owned and operated by the Spanish company, Indetix Group. This fashion retailer has introduced a different strategy within the fashion market that goes against the existing strategies of the fashion industry (Anon, nd.). Despite this, or rather on account of this, the company has managed to record profitable growth since its inception. However, in order to pursue further growth, it is necessary to analyze the current strategy. ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT PESTEL Analysis PESTLE Analysis is a widely used analysis to understand the external environment of the company. It is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors that have an impact on the overall operations of the organization (Henry, 2008). Political Factors Since companies operate within a certain geographic boundary or boundaries, the government has an impact on the company. It impacts through the laws and restrictions placed on the companies. Since Zara operates mainly in Spain and the UK, which falls within the EU countries therefore the political landscape of this area should be understood. The EU is beneficial for the company as it has made the entire region work as a local market. This allows the company to get fair advantage in the entire EU market. Zara is also operating outside Spain and EU markets and in markets such as USA, Dubai and Singapore. In this regard, the company needs to ensure that such countries have friendly relations with the national base of the company which is Spain. Also such countries should have a politically stable government so that the company continues to enjoy friendly terms. Economic Factors In terms of the economic factors, companies all around the world have been seriously hit with the financial c risis that struck the entire world in 2009. This has hampered the buying power on the consumers and most

Management and Organizational Behavior Case Study

Management and Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example r higher positions before sourcing from outside the company as evidenced by the promotion of Aaron Nelson and Kyle Christiansen from state billing office manager to the VP of Technology and director of the new unit of Medical Billing respectively (Case Study: Growth Pains at Mountain States Healthcare 1). Mountain States Healthcare was facing issues of high turnover in the recently consolidated medical billing directorate and was anticipating failing cash flow. These issues were drawing largely from the inflexibility of the leadership of Kyle Christiansen. Christiansen was instigating changes that were causing undesirable results especially on the employees working in his unit. Christiansen made promises to his employees when he rose to power but after two months, he was not delivering on these promises, and this made his juniors doubt his ability. The employees were aggravated over the cut-down of their work roles and flextime. Those in the offices that were being closed down were living for jobs in other companies. The software in the directorate was failing due to overloading. The postponement of issues addressed to Christiansen, his oversimplification of some, and excessive exertion of his authority demonstrated the ineffectiveness of his leadership (Case Study: Growth Pains at M ountain States Healthcare 3). The decision by the Board of Directors of Mountain States Healthcare to expand operations to states beyond Utah was a desirable aspect of the company’s management process. This is because the growth in profits would have led to the company outgrowing the potential of its initial market share. Additionally, the fact that this expansion would increase the profitability of the company’s shareholders showed that the board emphasized social responsibility. The decision to outsource consultancy services on the concern of how to cut on unnecessary administrative costs showed that the board’s management process aspired for objectivity (Case Study: Growth

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis :: Lion Witch Wardrobe Essays

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis The main characters in this story are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. During a war in London they were sent to a professor's house outside London. Lucy, while exploring with her brothers and sister, found a secret passage through the wardrobe to Naria,a secret world. In Naria there are other characters. One of them is the White Witch,also known as the Queen of Naria, who was like a tyrant. If anyone disobeyed her she turned them to stone. Another character Aslan, a lion, saved Naria from the rule of the White Witch. Most of this story takes place in Naria. The main conflict is how Naria can live under the rule of the White Witch. The Beavers set out to take Peter, Susan, and Lucy (not Edmund because he went to the witch ) to the four thrones so they ( four children united ) can rule over Naria and destroy the witch. The Beavers and the three children were walking in the snow because there it was always winter. Although it was always winter Christmas never arrived. After they awoke th e next day they saw Father Christmas who gave them gifts.Mrs. Beaver received a new sewing machine. Mr. Beaver's dam was fixed and finished. Peter was given a shield and sword. Susan received a bow, arrows, and a horn. Lucy's gift was a bottle of healing juice and a dagger. that was the climax of the book because the spell of the White Witch was fading. Then they met up with Aslan and he freed all the stone figures and made them his army. The resolution of the book is when Aslan's army and the witches army confront and Aslan's army wins. Peter kills the witch at the end of the battle. The impression I got from this book is that Naria is a land of surprises and I'm excited that this years assignment will allow me to read more of " The Chronicles of Naria " .

The Effect Of Obestatin Health And Social Care Essay

The present survey was designed to measure the effects of chronic intra peritoneal disposal of obestatin on plasma testosterone concentrations and cellular morphometry of the testicles in male Sprague Dawly rats. Treatment groups were injected with obestatin ( 1nmol/100  µl saline i.p ) while the control groups received saline ( 100  µl i.p ) for 10 back-to-back yearss. Blood samples were collected at different clip intervals during and after the dose disposal. Testiss were removed after killing the rats on yearss 5 and 15 after the last injection. Plasma testosterone concentrations were found significantly high ( p & A ; lt ; 0.05 ) in the obestatin treated groups as compared to the control groups. Testicular histomorphometry revealed that obestatin intervention caused a important addition in the primary spermatocytes ( P & A ; lt ; 0.0001 ) , secondary spermatocytes and spermatids ( P & A ; lt ; 0.005 ) and Leydig cells population ( p & A ; lt ; 0.0001 ) both after five and 15 yearss. These findings indicate that obestatin significantly proliferate different testicular cell types and heighten testosterone secernment in male Sprague Dawley rats during peri-pubertal phase of development. Assorted peptide endocrines are secreted from the intestine and enter circulation that regulates nutrient consumption, energy balance and stomachic motility [ Tache et Al. 2004 ; Young et Al. 2005 ; Baynes et Al. 2006 ; Cummings et Al. 2007 ] . The oxyntic mucous membrane cells secrete two peptide endocrines, ghrelin and obestatin which are considered as functional adversaries of each other. Ghrelin addition nutrient intake while obestatin cut down nutrient consumption [ Zhang et Al. 2005: Gualillo et Al. 2006 ] . G-protein coupled receptor GHS-R1a is considered as ghrelin receptor [ McKee et Al. 1997 ] . Another G-protein coupled receptor GPR39 which belongs to the ghrelin receptor household and is considered as receptor of obestatin [ Zhang et al. , 2005 ] . In gnawers, obestatin look was reported in assorted tissues including stomachic mucous membrane, myentric rete perinatal pancreas every bit good as in the Leydig cells of the testicle [ Chanonie et Al. 2006 ; Dun et Al. 2006 ; Zhang et Al. 2005 ] . It was reported that obestatin can non go through blood encephalon barrier, nevertheless its look has been reported in the encephalon. It was therefore postulated that obestatin might make the encephalon through the average distinction [ Pan et Al. 2006 ; Jackson et Al. 2006 ] . Data sing the engagement of obestatin in the generative maps is still missing nevertheless in a recent survey it was found that obestatin might be involved in the ordinance of ovarian granulose cells maps. It was reported that obestatin significantly increase Lipo-Lutin secernment and bring on programmed cell death in civilized porcine ovarian granulose cells [ Meszarosova et Al. 2007 ] . Engagement of ghrelin in the ordinance of generative maps has besides been reported. It was found that intervention with ghrelin for 10 back-to-back yearss resulted in the suppression of proliferative stage of different testicular cells during peri-pubertal phase. In the back bead of these findings the present survey was designed to look into the chronic consequence of obestatin on testosterone production and testicular cell proliferation in male Sprauge Dawley rats. Different cell counts are presented in table 1. In the obestatin treated animate beings the average figure of spermatogonia was high as compared to the control animate beings, but this addition was non statistically important. However, the average figure of primary spermatocytes were significantly high at different experimental yearss in the obestatin treated animate beings as compared to the control animate beings ( P & A ; lt ; 0.0001 ) . The average figure of secondary spermatocytes were besides significantly high in the obestatin treated animate beings on both 5 and 15 twenty-four hours ( P & A ; lt ; 0.005 ) . Average figure of unit of ammunition and extended spermatids nowadays in the seminiferous tubule were significantly ( P & A ; lt ; 0.005 ) high in both intervention groups dissected on different experimental yearss as compared to matching control groups. Similarly the average figure of leydig cells were significantly ( p & A ; lt ; 0.0001 ) high in treated groups as compar ed to command groups but the figure of Sertoli cells present in the seminiferous tubule was non significantly high in the treated groups as compared to the control groups on different experimental yearss ( figure 2 and 3 ) . Mean ±SEM testicular adventitia albuginea thickness, seminiferous tubule epithelial tallness and seminiferous tubule diameter of control and obestatin treated groups on different experimental yearss are presented in table 2. There was found no important difference in testicular adventitia albuginea thickness, seminiferous tubule epithelial tallness and seminiferous tubule diameter of treated groups as compared to the control groups. Mean ±SEM atomic diameter of spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, secondary spermatocyte, sertoli cells and leydig cells of control and obestatin treated groups on different experimental yearss are presented in table 3. No important alteration in mean ±SEM spermatogonial, primary spermatocyte, secondary spermatocyte, sertoli cells and leydig cells atomic diameter was observed in treated groups as compared to the control groups, both at twenty-four hours five and twenty-four hours 15 ( figure 2 ) . The testicle is a complex hormone organ where different cell types interplay to guarantee male birthrate, under the control of a overplus of hormone, paracrine and autocrine regulative signals [ Saez 1994 ] . In recent old ages, it has become apparent that different factors with cardinal functions in the growing axis ( e.g. GHRH and IGF-I ) and organic structure weight homeostasis ( e.g. leptin ) are potentially involved in the ordinance of testicular map [ Ciampani et Al. 1992 ; Baker et Al. 1996 ; Tena-Sempere et Al. 1999 ; Tena-Sempere et Al. 2001 ] . The present survey was designed in order to measure the effects of 10 twenty-four hours chronic i.p disposal of obestatin on testicular morphology and androgen synthesis in peri-pubertal male rats. In the survey 45-days-old male rats were allocated for the experiment because this age is considered as normal timing of puberty happening in the male rats [ Ojeda and Urbanski, 1994 ] . Infusions ( i.p ) of obestatin for 10 yearss was started when the rats were 45 yearss old and were dissected on twenty-four hours 5th ( 60-days-old ) and 15th ( 70-days-old ) twenty-four hours after intervention. The first sperm cell is normally seen in the lms of seminiferous tubules at 45th twenty-four hours of age [ Clermont et Al. 1957 ] and mature sperm cell is seen in vessel deferens 13 to 14 yearss subsequently at the age of about 60 yearss [ Clegj et Al. 1960 ] . The proliferation rate of the testicular cells is higher in this peculiar clip, so for this ground the current experiment was conducted o n this stage of development in male rat. In the present survey, chronic extract of obestatin during the pubertal phase, significantly increased testosterone degree in big male rats, and that elevated testosterone degree might straight heighten the spermatogenesis every bit early as observed in bulk of the seminiferous tubule in the treated animate beings as compared to the control animate beings. Obestatin intervention besides caused pronounced addition in figure of assorted testicular cells in the seminiferous tubules. This determination shows that obestatin has a stimulatory function in the transition of cellular proliferation during the peri-pubertal period in male rats. This determination besides suggests a possible opposing manner of action of obestatin as compared to ghrelin, as it was besides antecedently reported that ghrelin is a negative modulator of male generative system [ Kheradmand et al. 2008 ] . Obestatin intervention for 10 back-to-back yearss failed to do any significantly addition in the figure of spermatogonia and sertoli cell in the seminiferous tubule of the male rats and besides has no effects on seminiferous tubule and epididimal cannular thickness and its diameter. Similarly no alteration was observed in the weight and diameter of testicles. No information sing consequence of obestatin on testicular degree has been still reported. The present observations provide grounds for an engagement of obestatin in heightening the testosterone production from leydig cells. Either this addition in the testosterone secernment is the direct consequence of the binding of obestatin to its receptor ( GPR 39 ) which is present in testicle [ Yammamoto et Al. 2007 ] or obestatin could either heighten the reactivity of Leydig cells towards pituitary LH. Clearly farther surveies are needed to screen out the exact mechanism through which obestatin enhance testicular testosterone synthesis and the manner through which it induce spermatogenesis in male rats testicles.

Media Is A Political Issue That Has Greatly Affected...

A political issue that has greatly affected politics as well as the system of electing a president is the media. The media is a very important topic when discussing politics for a variety of reasons. The media includes television, radio, internet and social media sites such as Instagram and twitter. All of these forms of media are very influential and they reach a wide variety of the population. The amount of people that can be informed or influenced by these different forms of media is enormous. Because the media is easily accessible and highly influential it can be both beneficial and detrimental. This is important for many public figures, but it is also very important in regards to politics. Information that is broadcasted through the many different forms of media can cause a lot of issues when dealing with politics as well as many other areas. This essay defends the thesis that there are a plethora of reasons the media is a political issue that has increased in the last fifty yea rs the three primary reasons are the amount of people that can be influenced, the type of information that can be broadcasted and lastly the effects media can have on a political campaign or major political issue. The first reason media in politics is important is the amount of people that can be influenced through the use of media. Even though the media has been around for more than fifty years it has not been as prominent as it is now. For example, many years ago the printing press was used toShow MoreRelatedThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca )2063 Words   |  9 Pagesproviders, and policy makers. Several factors provoked this monumental change in health care. Social, political, and economic forces drive change in the United States healthcare system. 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