Gift Baskets Business Proposal

Summary With the holiday season fast approaching, it will soon be time to consider what gifts to offer to those who matter in our lives. The presentation of these gifts is important as it leaves a lasting impression on the recipient of the gift. The use of gift baskets is one of the most excellent methods available for the presentation of gifts, and our company offers some of the most beautiful baskets, specially made to meet the demands of the corporate firms which may have to deal with bulk presentation of gifts. Market Opportunity Many corporate bodies offer holiday gifts to their employees or clients during the holiday season as an appreciation of the rewarding relationships that the parties have. Such gifts are also meant to further strengthen the existing relationships. It would thus be disastrous if this noble intention by the corporate firms would fail simply because of poor presentation of the gifts. Many companies fail woefully in this endeavour simply because the gifts are presented in a poor manner, and instead of cementing relationships, they leave the recipients of such gifts with a sour taste in their mouths, and thus risk alienating clients and employees. A simple way to overcome this problem would be the use of holiday gift baskets. They present a cheap alternative to the hectic and sometimes tiresome method of using gift wrappers; all that is needed is a gift basket which acts as an attractive package of the gifts. The use of gift baskets also presents a cheaper alternative to gift wrappers, and helps avoid the time wastage that occurs when wrapping gifts the traditional way. Competition analysis The use of plastic wrappers, usually with fancy colours for wrapping gifts is an old practice that has been in existence for a long time. However, the advantages presented by the use of gifts baskets make the use of such wrappers uneconomical. Whereas wrappers can only be used once, gift baskets can be used repeatedly and for different occasions. The gift recipients can also utilise them for other decorative purposes such as wall hangings or even to send gifts to other individuals. The uses of gift baskets therefore present much better possibilities than the use of wrappers. Our Model We offer several attractive packages to companies which wish to strengthen their business relationships through gifts packaged in gift baskets. The baskets are made some of the most skilled, creative and imaginative designers who will deliver personalized gift baskets specific to your preferences. The baskets will be custom made to best suit your budget and occasion. There are three price ranges depending on the quantity ordered. For orders up to twenty gift baskets, a price of $65 will be offered, for orders between twenty one and fifty gift baskets, the price will be a considerate $55 while for orders for fifty one or more baskets, a price of $50 is offered. These price ranges are most competitive, and the quality of baskets delivered will indeed make a fitting mode of gift delivery for whichever occasion the gift will be intended. And since gifts are made to reaffirm commitments to relationships, business or otherwise, a gift basket will ensure that such an endeavour will never go wrong, and will contribute significantly to healthy relationships currently and in the future.

Plans for Recruitment and Retention Free Essays

There are many major challenges facing the nursing shortage environment today. One of those challenges includes the facility recruitment of registered nurses and then the facility retention of the registered nurses that they have recruited. Factors to consider would be as to why a registered nurse chose to accept a particular job and will they choose to stay at the facility after being given an employment opportunity. We will write a custom essay sample on Plans for Recruitment and Retention or any similar topic only for you Order Now A facility’s reputation, union status, autonomy and salary are among some of the factors that influence recruitment. Factors that influence retention includes the inclusion in decision making, practice autonomy, workers, work load, management’s respect of the workers, and shifts worked. It is expensive for any facility to recruit a registered nurse. According to a recent study by CB Jones, it costs between $62,100 and $67,100 to replace one registered nurse. (Jones, 2005) The cost of human turnover and subsequent recruiting often is not discussed. When there is a nurse vacancy, that particular nurses’ workload has to be incorporated into the workload of another nurse. The nurse or nurses that take on the workload are not necessarily going to be paid more. It’s a grin and bear it type of situation where everyone has to work together as a team. When a new nurse has finally been recruited, they have to go through an extensive orientation for the culture of the particular unit they are assigned to. Then retention comes into place. Now we have the new nurse in place, how do we go about keeping her? Retention can also be a major challenge for a facility. So how do we recruit and retain these nursing staffs? Define the Problem It has been projected that the U. S. will experience an intensified shortage of registered nurses as the baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. (AACN, 2012) To add intensity to the problem, the nursing schools are struggling with recruiting students to meet the demand for this new healthcare reform that arising. This has become a major healthcare concern. Between 2009 and 2030, it is projected that the shortage of nurses will spread across the country most intensely in the South and the West according to the â€Å"United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast. † (AJMQ 2012) The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is currently working with nursing organizations, policy makers, the media, and various schools to address this growing concern. Literature Review The fact is that there is definitely a shortage of nurses, and the numbers are going to grow in the years forthcoming. The statistics on the shortage are constantly changing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that registered nurses make up approximately 2. 6 million of the U. S. jobs. These jobs are in arenas such as hospitals, doctor’s offices, home health services, nursing care facilities, employment services, and government and social assistance agencies/educational services. That number is expected to grow to approximately 3. 2 million by the year 2018. In the year 2010, the United States faced a shortage of about 275,000 nurses. It is projected that by 2015 that number will have grown to approximately 500,ooo, and 800,000 by 2020. As the population gets older, more nurses are expected to retire. There are many reasons given for the shortage of nurses ranging from the demographics of the population, the employment patterns of women, nursing work, and the health care system itself. Some of those reasons include: Increased demand as the population ages. Eighteen percent growth overall and 54 percent growth overall for those with more health care needs. Other career options. There is a range of other career opportunities that are being considered, especially for those born after the 1950s. Work environment and workload. Hospitals have reduced their staffing and mandatory overtime policies have been implemented for the registered nurses to ensure coverage for the unexpected increase of patients. Image. The media diverts the attention of the young adults who may be interested in nursing by focusing on the challenges that nurse’s face rather than the aspects of the career that are rewarding. Problem Analysis With a shortage of nurses, the care and safety of patients may become compromised. The nurses themselves may be having feelings of dissatisfaction, overwhelm and distress. Nurses who may become overwhelmed with the high number of patients may become frustrated and burnt out. And inadequate staff of nurses may lead to a negative impact on the patient’s outcome. The quality of care the patients may receive in facilities with low staffing may be poor. There are a number of factors that contribute to the impact of the nursing shortage. Low nursing school enrollment. The projected demand for nursing services is not being met with the low enrollment. In 2011, the AACN reported there was only a 5. 1% increase in enrollment in entry-level nursing programs. Faculty shortage in nursing schools. With not enough faculty teaching in the nursing schools, it restricts the number of program enrollments. Nursing schools turned away 75,587 qualified applicants from their baccalaureate and graduate programs in 2011 because of insufficient staffing, classroom space, budget constraints, clinical sites and clinical preceptors according to a report issued by the AACN. The average age of nurses is climbing. The average age of nurses reported in 2012 was 44. 5 years of age. The largest segment of the nursing workforce is expected to be nurses in their 50s. Changing demographics. As the baby boomers get older, their health care needs are expanding, which will impact the future demand for more nurses. Elevated stress levels. With the insufficient staffing, the current nurses are overwhelmed with responsibilities, therefore, resulting in high stress levels, poor job satisfaction, and no motivation to stay on the job. This also limits the amount of time that the nurses can spend with the patients and impacts the quality of care given to the patients. Possible Solutions Encouragement is needed for the deployment and development of the nursing personnel with the appropriate skills. Regardless of the pressures that relate to the short-term demand for nursing services, there must be ongoing long-term workforce planning by the policy makers, public and the profession. Measures must be put in place to reverse these trends; otherwise, we are in danger of experiencing some serious health care system breakdowns. It is costly to develop strategies for recruiting and retaining nurse personnel. The Tri-Council members of The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), The American Nurses Association (ANA), The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), and The National League for Nursing (NLN) suggested the following recommendations: Education Develop career progression initiatives to accelerate the nursing graduates through their studies; Identify available options beyond entry-level such as administrator, researcher or faculty; Establish a system of education and practice to promote more compensation in the community of health care; Assist health care employers in creating and sustaining staff development programs and continuous growth; Use counselors, schools, and youth organizations to reach out to the youth for future possibilities. Work Environment Retaining the experienced nurses by implementing strategies such as: Allowing for more flexibility; Give recognition to the experienced nurses who serve as mentors for the new nurses; Implement appropriate salary and benefit programs. Advance the practice of nursing by creating a partnership environment: Establish appropriate management structures; Ensuring adequate nurse staffing; Offering the nurses independency. Redesign the work to enable the current nurses who are aging to stay active in their direct care roles. Legislation and Regulation Suggest an increase in the funding of nurse education for improving the capacity and resources for education; Within Medicaid, Medicare and other systems of reimbursement, propose for better identification for the registered nursing services. The National Student Nurses’ Association has a nursing breakthrough project that I think is a great tool that informs juniors and seniors in high school about the nursing opportunities that are available. To attract the attention of these students, they use tools such as live videos and pamphlets. The videos show other high school students who have taken an interest and made a decision to enter into the nursing world. They tell their testimonies about the values of the profession and the reason they chose to go into nursing. The pamphlets explain what nursing is, how to apply to nursing school, what nursing school is actually like, the paths of education to becoming a nurse, the salary, benefits and license requirements, and then lists other resources where information about nursing is available. These recommendations are going to take the work of many people and organizations coming together and supporting one another. One specific institute cannot implement all that is needed alone. Team work will be become very important. Strategies for retaining the nursing workforce are also needed. Implementing policies that will rebuild the nursing leadership roles will be necessary. Higher satisfaction and better patient care may also be gained by involving the nurses in the design of the staff and overtime policies. Policies that improve the overall hospital or facility work environment are among the most important considerations. Justification The nursing shortage of today is very real and very different from anything in the past. The shortage is evident by the few nurses that are entering the workforce. There is an acute shortage of nurses in certain geographic areas, and there is a shortage of nurses who are properly trained or prepared to work in certain areas to meet the needs of the patients in this changing healthcare environment. The growing realization is that there is inadequate supply of prepared nurses to meet the needs and demands of the population requiring health care attention. This problem will become more serious over the next 20 years if something is not done. The largest number of health care professionals is currently comprised of nurses. Within the nursing profession, statistics indicate that there has been a steady increase in nurses who are entering the profession. The problem still lies in retaining them in the profession. Much work is still needed and will be ongoing now and well into the future. How to cite Plans for Recruitment and Retention, Papers

The Artistic Life of Xu Beihong and His Influence to Modern Art in China

Introduction Xu Beihong was born in Yixing, China in the province of Jiangsu. He was born into a poor background and all the skills that he acquired at an early age including seal engraving, Chinese classics, calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting were from his father who in turn had acquired them through self-teaching.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Artistic Life of Xu Beihong and His Influence to Modern Art in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He was born on the 19th of July, 1895. He began commercially selling his work in 1915 when he relocated from his home town to Shanghai. He mainly sold paintings and other illustrations that were used in different publications. A government scholarship saw him enroll into the Nationale Supà ©rieure des Beaux-Arts in France in 1919. This is where he acquired the skills of oil painting and sketching as he travelled widely through Western Europe. He obse rved the works of western artists in different countries including Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. He returned to China in 1927 and began teaching at what is presently Nanjing University and formerly the National Central University. Here, he taught in the department of fine arts and eventually headed it. Xu Beihong is so influential in Chinese art that you cannot talk of the 20th century in terms of art without the mention of his name. He has over a thousand works done in ink, oil and also as sketches. The vastness of his works makes him a legend in themselves. The number of his works is however dwarfed by the amount of literature that has been written analyzing his work which has been both positive and negative. He is regarded by many as the vanguard of 20th century Chinese art and has a whole museum dedicated to him. The major reason he is so highly regarded is the incorporation of western realism in his Chinese works. His style that is regarded as social realism has dom inated the art scene in China up until the 1970’s. Among the works that have become icons of Chinese art are: The Astute Judge of Horse, The Foolish Old Man Removing The Mountain, Tian Heng and His Five Hundred Followers and Awaiting For Deliverer. The art of this great artist is seen more as the perfect blend of traditional Chinese art with that of the West. They are lauded for depicting virtuosity and patriotic ideals. While Mao Zedong was so moved by The Foolish Old Man Removing the Mountain that he incorporated it in his political rhetoric, critics like Michael Sullivan claim that the painting is â€Å"one of the most unpleasant works to ever come out of China† (50) and that the works of Xu Beihong are â€Å"seldom more than merely competent.† (Sullivan 72)Advertising Looking for term paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The thought processes that make people take such extreme posit ions when discussing Beihong’s work are influenced by preconceptions of what modern Chinese art should be, political preferences and personal tastes. Pheng Cheah concedes that these criticisms can be as a result of â€Å"dogmatic application of untested universalism† by the Western nations and â€Å"a dubious cultural relativism† by other nations in the East (54). This means that the work of an artist is viewed from a single dimension which may not produce the best results. There should be an appreciation of the arts present by the analyses of these works through a multidimensional scope (Eco 108). This paper seeks to examine the work of Xu Beihong in a wide perspective and not just against the narrow scopes including modernism versus realism, western oil paintings versus Chinese traditional ink paintings or left versus right. Here, we are going to examine the influence that this artist had on Chinese art as a whole. Discussion Xu Beihong was not the first Chine se artist to attempt modernizing Chinese art. He was however the most successful since he used the method of realism that was common in the 19th century and had long been proven in history as very effective. His works were successful partly because they depicted the problems that dogged the people of the time with relative accuracy. His however was a personal statement given his background. Before he was born, the Chinese had lost in the First Sino-Japanese War (1884-5). The political upheavals that followed including reform and revolution undoubtedly affected the perspective of this artist (Shen 172). The background of Xu Beihong helps us to discern the thought that he was â€Å"modern† due to his role in modernizing Chinese art. The experience that Xu Beihong had in the French school where he was enrolled made him view the world in a different perspective. First, it removed the pressures that are accompanied by being in familiar surroundings and helped him to be more object ive even with himself. While studying the western way of art, he thought of the situation in his home country as he viewed himself an alien in another land. Western art drew its inspiration from mythology and antiquity and thus was able to tell a story by looking at it. This was the inspiration that led Xu Beihong to produce paintings that were capable of telling stories. His major context was on historic Chinese texts while incorporating the western style of painting. TAdvertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Artistic Life of Xu Beihong and His Influence to Modern Art in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More hree of his most iconic works namely Awaiting for Deliverer, The Astute Judge of the Horse Jiu Fanggao and Tian Heng and His Five Thousand Followers were all produced immediately on his return from France in 1927. Tian Heng and His Five Thousand Followers told the story of Tian Heng who was a legendary fi gure and the ruler of the Qi dynasty. However towards the end of his reign (221-201 BCE), he chose to protect his integrity by committing suicide rather than be captured by Liu Bang who was the leader of the Han dynasty. The Astute Judge of the Horse was painted in 1931 and incorporated the traditional Chinese methods of painting that only used paper, ink and brush. The story is of the protagonist Jiu Fanggao who was said to be an excellent judge of young men who were to serve the nation as scholars and were metaphorically referred to as horses. The last piece, Awaiting for Deliverer, was a very large oil painting. The painting was depicting a suffering people in the era of the Xia dynasty (2000-1600 BCE) as they waited for a savior to deliver them from the oppressive regime. The concept was borrowed from the Book of Documents. The shift from contemporary styles to realism based on classical academics was a very effective tool for educating people and also for artistic convictions. This made the work of Xu Beihong distinguishable from that of other artists of his time including Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) and Liu Haisu (1896-1994). The fame of Xu Beihong took him to many countries where he exhibited his work. In addition to his exhibitions in Europe and China, he went as far as South and Southeast Asia. It was in India in 1940 that he did his other very influential piece known as The Foolish Old Man Removing the Mountain. This was in the period of the Japanese Resistance War (1937-1945). The painting was based on an ancient parable in the Leizi text that told the story of an old man who saw it prudent to remove a mountain that was in front of his house (Hsia 533). Even if it was a tall order for him, he was convinced that his children would continue in this endeavor long after he was gone. The sentiments that were being depicted in this painting were of a nationalistic nature and that is why Mao Zedong saw it prudent to incorporate the painting in his politics. T he role that Xu Beihong played in modernizing Chinese art culminated in him being named the president of the fine arts department in the Central University in 1950. This was immediately after the war and after the formation of the People’s Republic of China. The communist regime continued the work of this legendary artist after he passed away in 1953. China was a country that was ruled by dynasties up until the 1900s. The speedy development of Japan and other European countries meant that China only had a single option in order to survive; westernization. The establishment of the May Fourth Movement was the first step towards the â€Å"westernization† of China (Spence 223). This meant that for China to succeed, she had to embrace the western ideals so that she could become a superpower like Japan.Advertising Looking for term paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was achieved by emulating western ideals of romanticism, symbolism and realism that was possible under the banner of democracy and science and was the focal point of the May Fourth Movement. This was the genesis of the art reform that led to artists like Xu Beihong going into foreign countries in order to learn their art. Kang Youwei and Cai Yuanpei, who were the mentors of Xu Beihong and were responsible for him securing a scholarship in France, were supporters of the May Fourth Movement. Xu Beihong was a major player in the revolutionalization of Chinese art. As a whole, Chinese art was progressing steadily until it was disrupted by the Japanese Resistance War. The other artists who assisted in the revolution were Japanese educated Chen Baoyi (1893-1945), Guan Zilan (1903-1986) and Guan Liang (1900-1986) together with French trained Pan Yuliang (1902-1977) and Pang Xunqin (1906-1985). They all were instrumental in creating the necessary hype for Chinese art that was always in sync with that of other cities like Tokyo and Paris. Chinese peace was an uneasy affair as there was always tension between warlords, a threat from the rapidly developing Japan and the rift between the Communist Party and the National government. Xu Beihong found himself very patriotic in this times and was always eager to make history by fostering peace through his artworks. The emphasis was thus on the importation of western ideas that would assist in determining the national fate of the Chinese people. This was the backdrop in which Chinese modern art was determined. Many artists held the ideal that the best way to change Chinese art was along the traditional lines and contemporary styles whereas a few advocated for an amalgam of traditional styles and those of the West. The western style had the advantage of being more socially involved than did the literati art that had ceased to be as popular in the late 18th century. It was held that the best way forward was integrating the western style of art into the traditional Chinese art. It was thus up to Xu Beihong and other western educated artists to come up with the best way forward. The array of western educated artists did not have a common idea and a quandary of ideas was brought forth. There was a tug of war between realists and modernists. Those that advocated for the latter were Liu Hansi and Lin Feingman who believed in everything that was after Post-Impression (Andrews 29). They considered the works of Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) and Henri Matisse as the most fitting to decide the way forward for Chinese art (1869-1954) (Wong 91). The dissenting voice was however that of Xu Beihong who was convinced that the answer to Chinese art was in the 19th century classism and realism in Europe. Xu Beihong did not however give in to the whole concept of modernization. He was not interested in the whole context of modernity that was occurring in the West (Clark 4). In fact, he was only focused on the depiction of r ealism in the Chinese context. He claimed that the definition of realism that the western critics and his Chinese counterparts held was not his understanding. His main aim was in depicting reality in his artwork. Additionally, although he was a strong believer in academic realism, his works were broader than what was entailed in realism and contained other concepts including naturalism, romanticism and realism in the broader western sense. Xu Beihong groups all arts as either being based on realism or conceptualism. The latter he associates with traditional Chinese aesthetics. Conclusion The Chinese culture is no different from any other in the world. The culture looks to the social function that art plays in politics and in the definition of culture itself. Xu Beihong depiction of moralistic overtones that were largely sourced from historical sources means that the artist was free of self inclination a far cry of other modernists. It is remarkable that after eight years in France i n the midst of fauvism and post-impressionism, Xu Beihong still had a fondness for 19th century classism. In a world where people are constantly changing with the times, remaining true to a single conviction can be a tall order. Xu Beihong produced numerous works during his lifetime. However, his most profound works that gained international acclaim are five in number. The common feature of these pieces is that their concepts were borrowed from Chinese history that was a parallel to the success of European pieces based on mythology and antiquity. The pieces were also developed in the years after Xu Beihong returned from France. The turbulent history of China and especially its war with Japan had a great influence on the way that Xu Beihong crafted his pieces. This was the reason that his works were used in political rhetoric. He is considered the father of modern Chinese art that borders on realism, rightly so as he undoubtedly shaped the way that art in China was viewed and present ed a platform onto which modern Chinese art has blossomed. Works Cited Andrews, Julia F. Painters and politics in the people’s republic of China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. Print Cheah, Pheng. â€Å"Asian studies in a world in motion†. Trace, 1 (1993), 54-5 Clark, John. Modernity in Asian art. Sydney: Wild Peony, 1993. Print Eco, Umberto. The open work. Translated by Ann Cancogni. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989. Print Hsia, C.T. A history of modern Chinese fiction, 3rd Ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999. Print Shen, Kuiyi. A century in crisis: Modernity and tradition in the art of 20th century China. New York: Guggeiheim Museum, 1998. Print. Spence, Jonathan D. The search for modern China, 2nd Ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999. Print Sullivan, Michael. Art and artists of the 20th century China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996. Print Sullivan, Michael. Chinese art in the 20th century. Berkeley: University of Cali fornia Press, 1959. Print. Wong, Fong C. between two cultures: late 19th and 20th century Chinese paintings form the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection in the metropolitan museum of art. New York: metropolitan museum of art, 2001. Print. This term paper on The Artistic Life of Xu Beihong and His Influence to Modern Art in China was written and submitted by user Lillianna Hale to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Genocide

â€Å"We do not live in a civilized world if the most powerful countries allow genocide to happen.† I do not consider this statement completely true. I disagree with the fact that genocide alone solely contributes to a non-civilized world. I feel that if genocide were completely eradicated, our world would still not be civilized. Although, this statement does bring up many good points about how, when, and who should take responsibility for the prevention and persecution of those that commit genocide. Based on the international system now, steps such as the Nuremberg trials, the Geneva Conventions, International tribunals, and recently the International Criminal Court are multilateral means of correcting genocide offenders even though there are no â€Å"world police officers.† I strongly support International organizations to help bring justice to these gross offenders of mass murders. These organizations allow for powerful countries to jointly discourage the wrongs done and this will lead to a more cooperative and peaceful means to justice. As opposed to certain countries taking sides and just causing a major disaster. It is obvious based on the case of Rwanda in 1994 that the United Nations does not have much power in controlling genocide. These steps will hopefully answer the questions of whom, and how genocide offenders can be stabilized. The question of â€Å"when† countries should intervene brings up controversial issues of sovereignty and human rights. I deeply feel that intervention should be mainly based on its own national interest and security. This is the only basis of making the decision because there is an international government is anarchical. For example, I completely agreed with the decision of non-intervention when General Pinochet forcefully overthrew the Chilean government. It was in our country’s best interest to allow Pinochet to instill democratic ideas in his country and to condemn that of com... Free Essays on Genocide Free Essays on Genocide â€Å"We do not live in a civilized world if the most powerful countries allow genocide to happen.† I do not consider this statement completely true. I disagree with the fact that genocide alone solely contributes to a non-civilized world. I feel that if genocide were completely eradicated, our world would still not be civilized. Although, this statement does bring up many good points about how, when, and who should take responsibility for the prevention and persecution of those that commit genocide. Based on the international system now, steps such as the Nuremberg trials, the Geneva Conventions, International tribunals, and recently the International Criminal Court are multilateral means of correcting genocide offenders even though there are no â€Å"world police officers.† I strongly support International organizations to help bring justice to these gross offenders of mass murders. These organizations allow for powerful countries to jointly discourage the wrongs done and this will lead to a more cooperative and peaceful means to justice. As opposed to certain countries taking sides and just causing a major disaster. It is obvious based on the case of Rwanda in 1994 that the United Nations does not have much power in controlling genocide. These steps will hopefully answer the questions of whom, and how genocide offenders can be stabilized. The question of â€Å"when† countries should intervene brings up controversial issues of sovereignty and human rights. I deeply feel that intervention should be mainly based on its own national interest and security. This is the only basis of making the decision because there is an international government is anarchical. For example, I completely agreed with the decision of non-intervention when General Pinochet forcefully overthrew the Chilean government. It was in our country’s best interest to allow Pinochet to instill democratic ideas in his country and to condemn that of com...

Domestication History of Squashes (Cucurbita spp)

Domestication History of Squashes (Cucurbita spp) Squash (genus Cucurbita), including squashes, pumpkins, and gourds, is one of the earliest and most important of plants domesticated in the Americas, along with maize and common bean. The genus includes 12-14 species, at least five of which were domesticated independently, long before European contact in South America, Mesoamerica, and Eastern North America. Five Main Species The designation cal BP means, roughly, calendar years ago before the present. Data in this table has been assembled from a variety of available sources, listed in the bibliography for this article. Name Common Name Location Date Progenitor C. pepo spp pepo pumpkins, zucchini Mesoamerica 10,000 cal BP C. pepo. spp fraterna C. moschata butternut squash Mesoamerica or northern South America 10,000 cal BP C. pepo spp fraterna C. pepo spp. ovifera summer squashes, acorns Eastern North America 5000 cal BP C. pepo spp ozarkana C. argyrosperma silver-seeded gourd, green-striped cushaw Mesoamerica 5000 cal BP C. argyrosperma spp sororia C. ficifolia fig-leafed gourd Mesoamerica or Andean South America 5000 cal BP unknown C. maxima buttercup, banana, Lakota, Hubbard, Harrahdale pumpkins South America 4000 cal BP C. maxima spp adreana Why Would Anybody Domesticate Gourds? Wild forms of squashes are harshly bitter to humans and other extant mammals, but there is evidence that they were harmless to mastodons, the extinct form of elephant. Wild squashes carry cucurbitacins, which can be toxic when eaten by smaller bodied mammals, including humans. Large-bodied mammals would need to ingest a huge amount to have an equivalent dose (75-230 whole fruits at once). Interestingly, when the megafauna died off at the end of the last Ice Age, wild Cucurbita declined. The last mammoths in the Americas died off about 10,000 years ago, around the same time squashes were domesticated. See Kistler et al. for a discussion. Archaeological understanding of squash domestication process  has undergone a considerable rethinking: most domestication processes have been found to have taken centuries if not millennia to complete. In comparison, squash domestication was fairly abrupt. Domestication was likely in part the result of human selection for different traits related to edibility, as well as seed size and rind thickness. It has also been suggested that domestication may have been directed by the practicality of dried gourds as containers or fishing weights. Bees and Gourds Evidence suggests that cucurbit ecology is tightly bound up with one of its pollinators, several varieties of an American stingless bee known as Peponapis or the gourd bee. Ecological evidence (Giannini et al.) identified a co-occurrence of specific types of cucurbit with specifics type of Peponapis  in three distinct geographic clusters. Cluster A is in the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahan deserts (including P. pruinosa); B in the moist forests of the Yucatan peninsula and C in the Sinaloa dry forests. Peponapis bees may well be crucial to understanding the spread of domesticated squash in the Americas, because bees apparently followed the human movement of cultivated squashes into new territories. Lopez-Uribe et al. (2016) studied and identified molecular markers of the bee P. pruinosa in bee populations throughout North America. P. pruinosa today prefers the wild host C. foetidissima, but when that is not available, it relies on domesticated host plants, C. pepo, C. moschata and C. maxima, for pollen. The distribution of these markers suggests that modern squash bee populations are the result of a massive range expansion from out of Mesoamerica into the temperate regions of North America. Their findings suggest that the bee colonized eastern NA after C. pepo was domesticated there, the first and only known case of a pollinators range expanding with the spread of a domesticated plant. South America Microbotanical remains from squash plants such as starch grains and phytoliths, as well as macro-botanical remains such as seeds, pedicles, and rinds, have been found representing C. moschata squash and bottle gourd in numerous sites throughout northern South American and Panama by 10,200-7600 cal BP, underlining their probable South American origins earlier than that. Phytoliths large enough to represent domesticated squash have been found at sites in Ecuador 10,000-7,000 years BP and the Colombian Amazon (9300-8000 BP). Squash seeds of Cucurbita moschata have been recovered from sites in the Nanchoc valley on the lower western slopes of Peru, as were early cotton, peanut, and quinoa. Two squash seeds from the floors of houses were direct-dated, one 10,403–10,163 cal BP and one 8535-8342 cal BP. In the Zaà ±a valley of Peru, C. moschata rinds dated to 10,402-10,253 cal BP, alongside early evidence of cotton, manioc and coca. C. ficifolia was discovered in southern coastal Peru at Paloma, dated between 5900-5740 cal BP; other squash evidence that has not been identified to species include Chilca 1, in southern coastal Peru (5400 cal BP and Los Ajos in southeastern Uruguay, 4800-4540 cal BP. Mesoamerican Squashes The earliest archaeological evidence for C. pepo squash in Mesoamerica comes from excavations carried out during the 1950s and 1960s in five caves in Mexico: Guil Naquitz in Oaxaca state, Coxcatln and San Marco caves in Puebla and Romero’s and Valenzuela’s caves in Tamaulipas. Pepo squash seeds, fruit rind fragments, and stems have been radiocarbon dated to 10,000 years BP, including both direct dating of the seeds and indirect dating of the site levels in which they were found. This analysis allowed also to trace the dispersion of the plant between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago from south to north, specifically, from Oaxaca and southwestern Mexico toward Northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Xihuatoxtla rockshelter, in tropical Guerrero state, contained phytoliths of what may be C. argyrosperma, in association with radiocarbon dated levels of 7920/- 40 RCYBP, indicating that domesticated squash was available between 8990-8610 cal BP. Eastern North America In the United States, early evidence of initial domestication of Pepo squash comes from different sites from the central midwest and the east from Florida to Maine. This was a subspecies of Cucurbita pepo called Cucurbita pepo ovifera and its wild ancestor, the inedible Ozark gourd, is still present in the area. This plant formed part of the dietary complex known as the Eastern North American Neolithic, which also included chenopodium and sunflower. The earliest use of squash is from the Koster site  in Illinois, ca. 8000 years BP; the earliest domesticated squash in the midwest comes from Phillips Spring, Missouri, about 5,000 years ago.   Sources Dillehay TD, Rossen J, Andres TC, and Williams DE. 2007. Preceramic Adoption of Peanut, Squash, and Cotton in Northern Peru. Science 316:1890-1893.Fuller DQ, Denham T, Arroyo-Kalin M, Lucas L, Stevens CJ, Qin L, Allaby RG, and Purugganan MD. 2014. Convergent evolution and parallelism in plant domestication revealed by an expanding archaeological record. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111(17):6147-6152.Giannini TC, Lira-Saade R, Ayala R, Saraiva AM, and Alves-dos-Santos I. 2011. Ecological niche similarities of Peponapis bees and non-domesticated Cucurbita species. Ecological Modelling 222(12):2011-2018.Hart JP, Brumbach HJ, and Lusteck R. 2007. Extending the Phytolith Evidence for Early Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) and Squash (Cucurbita sp.) in Central New York. American Antiquity 72(3):563-584.Kistler L, Newsom LA, Ryan TM, Clarke AC, Smith BD, and Perry GH. 2015. Gourds and squashes (Cucurbita spp.) adapted to megafaunal extinction and ecological anachronism through domestication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(49):15107-15112. Lira R, Eguiarte L, Montes S, Zizumbo-Villarreal D, Marà ­n PC-G, and Quesada M. 2016. Homo sapiens–Cucurbita interaction in Mesoamerica: Domestication, Dissemination, and Diversification. In: Lira R, Casas A, and Blancas J, editors. Ethnobotany of Mexico: Interactions of People and Plants in Mesoamerica. New York, NY: Springer New York. p 389-401.Là ³pez-Uribe MM, Cane JH, Minckley RL, and Danforth BN. 2016. Crop domestication facilitated rapid geographical expansion of a specialist pollinator, the squash bee Peponapis pruinosa. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 283(1833).Patton PE, and Curran S. 2016. Archaic Period Domesticated Plants in the Mid-Ohio Valley: Archaeobotanical Remains from the County Home Site (33at40), Southeastern Ohio. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 41(2):127-158.Piperno DR. 2011. The Origins of Plant Cultivation and Domestication in the New World Tropics: Patterns, Process, and New Developments. Current Anthropolog y 52(S4):S453-S470. Piperno DR. 2016. Phytolith radiocarbon dating in archaeological and paleoecological research: a case study of phytoliths from modern Neotropical plants and a review of the previous dating evidence. Journal of Archaeological Science 68:54-61.Ranere AJ, Piperno DR, Holst I, Dickau R, and Iriarte J. 2009. The cultural and chronological context of early Holocene maize and squash domestication in the Central Balsas River Valley, Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106:5014-5018.Sanjur OI, Piperno DR, Andres TC, and Wessel-Beaver L. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships among domesticated and wild species of Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae) inferred from a mitochondrial gene: Implications for crop plant evolution and areas of origin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99(1):535-540.Simon ML. 2011. Evidence for variability among squash seeds from the Hoxie site (11CK4), Illinois. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(9):2079-2093.Smith BD. 2011. The Cultural Context of Plant Domestication in Eastern North America. Current Anthropology 52(S4):S471-S484. Smith BD. 2006. Eastern North America as an independent center of plant domestication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103(33):12223-12228.Zheng Y-H, Alverson AJ, Wang Q-F, and Palmer JD. 2013. Chloroplast phylogeny of Cucurbita: Evolution of the domesticated and wild species. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 51(3):326-334.

Darwin, The Final Nail In the Coffin For Newtonian Religion Essay

Darwin, The Final Nail In the Coffin For Newtonian Religion - Essay Example eligion is likewise wrong in its assumption of passive matter needing the Will of God to set it in motion, that gravity is the ultimate proof of the supernatural act of God, and that the design of the solar system warrants a â€Å"providential God† (Olson, 2004, pp. 123-124). My argument, which favors Mechanism instead of Creation and Design, will further be supported by the weakness of William Paley’s watchmaker argument (Bendz, 1996). The publication of Charles Darwin’s writing The Origin of Species in 1859, wherein he proposed his Evolution Theory and evidences that support his findings, sparked the ancient debate between scientists and the religious (ONeil, 1996). Even before Darwin’s controversial publication, Boucher de Perthes has already put forth archaeologocal artifacts that support the Evolution Theory (ONeil, 1996). However, it was dismissed by scientists and the clergy as they go against what has generally been taught and believed—that God was responsible for all Creation (ONeil, 1996). Thus, Darwin had reopened the age-old debate between science and religion—something that was thought to be reconciled once upon a time through the practice of natural theology, wherein Sir Isaac Newton was a proponent and believer. Natural theology is the process of â€Å"moving from the observable and created to the unobservable and uncreated† as a way of establishing the existence of God (Hart, 2002). Until now, there is still a standing discussion among atheists and the religious, with the scientists being caught in the middle—as the religious aims to use scientific findings as a proof of the existence of God and the atheists, likewise, using science and logic to disprove the notion of a Deity. Scientists who have a firm belief in God have been torn between these two separate schools of thought. Hence, there is a need to look back and trace where the argument came from in order to come to a conclusion on whether science and religion can coalesce and form

Ecotourism and Carbon Neutrality Research Paper

Ecotourism and Carbon Neutrality - Research Paper Example 265). On top of these direct benefits, there are also indirect contributions in the form of millions of dollars directed to conservation projects from entrance fees, tourist philanthropic donations and ecotourism-operator philanthropy. However if ecotourism wishes to claim environmental bragging rights, it has to do better with regards to carbon usage and climate change. Like most contemporary forms of travel, ecotourism depends heavily on fossil fuel-dependent forms of transportation. This means that responsible travel to natural areas starts out with an environmental debt, especially with regards to the carbon emissions that must be repaid for there to be a net environmental gain. It is imperative that ecotourism incorporates other creative forms of carbon balancing as part of the customary practice, thus reducing its carbon debt from the start. Carbon neutrality is the benchmark in the maturation of ecotourism (Durham & Stronza, 2008, pg. 266). Ecotourism and Carbon Neutrality Inc reasingly ecotourism has been described to represent or at least encourage sustainable forms of tourism in natural areas. Sustainable tourism is focused on using resources sustainably and reducing over-consumption and waste (Buckley, 2004, pg. 15). Ecotourism is defined as the environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas in order to enjoy and appreciate nature and any accompanying cultural features that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local population (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996, pg. 20; Buckley, 2004, pg. 15). However, travel or mobility are mostly associated with considerable resource use in the form of fossils fuel and it therefore directly challenges the... This paper approves that ecotourism has been recognized and acclaimed with safeguarding biological and cultural diversity, reducing rural poverty and increasing public consciousness of environmental concerns as well as bolstering ties concerning tourism operators and local population. For this reason, it has increased in popularity with tourists as well as governmental development organizations and conservation agencies. However, for ecotourism to remain viable and appealing into the future, unambiguous and untainted means must be found to make ecotourism carbon neutral or better. This essay makes a conclusion that universal resorts in pursuit of being carbon neutral have begun to use alternative fuels in their service vehicles in an attempt to cut down toxic emissions. Moreover, the cooking oil utilized in its restaurants is reprocessed and reused as are the paper and cardboard supplies used throughput the resort. At SeaWorld and its affiliate parks, hydrogen energies fuel shuttles, dinnerware and utensils are produced from vegetable starch and sugarcane. Seafood, even for its animal populations is procured from green and natural fisheries, moreover, it has teamed up with the Rainforest Alliance to guarantee that foods acquired are farmed and harvested in manners that protects and safeguards area wildlife, habitats as well as the people. By the way, still in pursuit of carbon neutrality, the use of public transportation most notably by Disney World has gone a long way in reducing carbon emissions.