Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Creative Problem Solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creative Problem Solving - Essay Example Since the experts blame alcohol advertising for alcohol consumption among teens, then they take it as truth. Alcohol adverts are not aimed at teenagers or for alcohol consumption increase. Rather, advertising of alcohol is targeted for those who take alcohol to switch alcohol brands. Most commercials will take a minute or so and do not really reveal what they are about. Usually, only those who understand them are old and mature enough to take alcohol. This I say from experience when I first look at an advert I rarely know what the advert is talking about at first. For instance, most Smirnoff adverts require one to understand alcohol and know that they are talking about it. While alcohol ads are highly visible in sports magazines, most people who watch sport agree that liquor and sport are not compatible. Most teens who read sports magazines will know that should they have an interest in sport when they grow up, then they are aware that alcohol will destroy or stop their dreams. Alcoh ol ads are not meant to increase consumption but to get people to take the specific brand instead. While people think that these ads are targeted at consumption of alcohol, the truth is that they are not bad intentioned. The reason why these adverts are on the magazine is to increase market share. The adverts are not intended for young people since the advertisers are only out to increase brand awareness. While advertisement of alcohol may be high coupled to high abuse of alcohol among teens, evidence is not conclusive that young people are led to increase alcohol consumption by the adverts. Not only do alcohol adverts not target consumption of alcohol, there is no evidence that it leads to increased consumption either. ... However, it is also true that some underage drinking is caused by alcohol adverts on magazines aimed at teenagers. This is because it can be proven that young people are more vulnerable to persuasion from magazines with higher readership since they feel part of something bigger. The possibility that delayed effect from adverts on magazines with high circulation among teenagers has an effect on alcohol consumption among them is very high (Rand Health 1). It is obvious that the younger generation does spend a lot of time reading magazines and, in the process, take in a lot of alcohol adverts. It is quite clear that these magazines have to do with sport and being chic. These sorts of magazines also have a very high proportion of their adverts dedicated to alcohol. In fact, most of the teenagers read twice as many magazines as the older generations who have extra pressing issues at hand. Since these magazines have a very high proportion of their adverts linked to alcohol, it is highly po ssible that their readers are the major target. While children at a younger age who do not read these magazines have a low knowledge of alcohol, the generation right ahead of them seems to know a lot more (Rand Health 1). In short, the average sixteen year old knows more about alcohol than the average nine year old. This, in my opinion, implicates the magazine adverts. The social cost of adolescent drinking is very high on most economies in the world with alcohol fuelled accidents and alcohol aided crime being the most obvious. Combating drivers who are underage and drunk involves multiple systems of approach (Rand Health 1). With emphasis on advertising of alcohol in magazines, several policies

Monday, October 28, 2019

Of mice and men was written in a period when mentally disabled people were treated like outcasts Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men was written in a period when mentally disabled people were treated like outcasts Essay Of mice and men was written in a period when mentally disabled people were treated like outcasts. They were treated like that simply because they were different. Mental people were thought to be almost like a different species. Black people were considered outcasts because they had different skin-colour to white people. Also women were treated like property that belonged to men. The novel was written during the Great Depression, where jobs and employment were scarce. The USA was quite a poor country back then. Lennie is considered an outcast because he is mentally disabled. Mentally disabled peopled in that time were treated badly. They were locked up and separated from the rest of society. This is known as segregation. They also use to be sterilised. This means that they werent allowed to have babies or reproduce. Those are all very horrible. However, lennie was not treated like any other mental people. This is because he has George to look after him, and many other mentally disabled people didnt have anybody to care for them or to look after them. But Lennie had that someone, and it was George, so that is whats different about Lennie. In the ranch, however, lennie was considered an outcast. We know this because lennie says to crooks, Everbody went slim, George and everbody. George says I gotta stay here. This shows that Lennie is not allowed to go into town like the rest. Hes not considered good enough do anything with the lads. Lennie is not allowed to play games, such as horseshoe, with the others. From outside came the clang of horseshoe only Lennie was in the barn. This shows that while the others played their games lennie was made to stay inside the barn. He is like an outsider or a refugee. Crooks is considered an outcast simply because he is black. In those days, black people were treated very badly. They were treated differently from white people. Black people were often never called by their first names. Crooks is considered an outcast on the ranch because hes black and isnt referred to his real name, its either crooks or nigger. Crooks also has his pride he is a proud and aloof man. This means that crooks is not allowed inside the bunk house because hes black. Hes allowed to play sports outside the bunk house, but not inside it, which is why he had a separate room. I aint wanted in the bunk house cause Im black. This shows the racial issue of how black men did not mix with whites. Crooks is being segregated in this way. That is also another reason why crooks is an outcast. Curleys wife is presented as an outcast. This is because women in those times were treated as a piece of property by the men. They may have also been treated as a sex object by their husbands; there to cook, clean and have babies. In the ranch Curleys wife is considered an outcast because shes a woman. Also she is related to the boss. She is not allowed to play horseshoe or go into town or even talk to anyone. We know that when she was in the barn with lennie, I get lonely you can talk to people, but I cant talk to nobody but Curly. This shows us that everyone else can talk with whom they like, but she can only talk to her husband. In conclusion, 1930s America is presented as a racist country who thinks black should be separated in terms of class. It is presented as a country that thinks mentally disabled people should be separated from the rest of society. It was also a sexist country who treated women very badly. A very uncivilized country.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Essay --

Boiling point, similarly to melting point, depends on the strength of forces between the particles that make up the element. When a substance boils, most of the remaining attraction forces are broken, the particles can then move freely and farther apart. The stronger that the attraction force is the more energy that is needed to overcome them and increase the boiling point. Boiling points vary in a regular way or pattern depending on their position in the periodic table. The general periodic trend is that the boiling point increases to the middle of the d block, and then decrease to the Noble Gases. The highest melting point is apparent in the middle of the transition metals because of the electron – electron repulsion. This is due to the fact that the transition metals have metallic bonding, which is a very strong bond; therefore a lot of energy is required to break them. Due to a lot of energy being needed, the boiling point is then higher.. The smallest amount of electron à ¢â‚¬â€œ electron repulsion can be found in the middle of block d. This repulsion causes the element to be less stable, thus allowing it be easier to break apart, which then results in a lower boiling point. Boiling points generally increase going from sodium to aluminum, then decrease to argon, with a minor bump at Sulfur. There is no simple way to identify the trend for boiling points when going down a column. Some groups increase when going down a column, while some decrease, and others have no trend. This is because boiling point increase when electron – electron repulsion decreases. Since electron – electron repulsion decreases going down columns on the periodic table, it can be expected that the boiling point would increase, which does not always occur. This in... ...itrogen? Than Bromine? Why Is Hydrogen so Weird? :. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. "Atomic and Ionic Radius." Atomic and Ionic Radius. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. "Atomic Radius of the Elements." Atomic Radius for All the Elements in the Periodic Table. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014. "Chemical Elements Listed by Density." The Chemical Elements of the Periodic Table Sorted by Density. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. "Chemistry Lesson 1 Instruction, Page 5." Chemistry Lesson 1 Instruction, Page 5. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. "Electronegativity." Electronegativity. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. "Ionization Energy and Electron Affinity." Ionization Energy and Electron Affinity. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. "Periodic Table Trends." Periodic Table Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. "Seaborgium." WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cruise Industry Essay

1. Introduction Nowadays cruise tourism is very popular form of tourism when it comes to travelling abroad. In this report we will focus on various aspects of cruise tourism. First of all on defining of cruise tourism, then we will present it’s historically. We will focus of main features of cruise ships as like family cruisers, couples cruisers, senior cruisers, singles cruisers, gay and lesbian cruisers, world cruisers, luxury cruisers and cruises to nowhere. We include our researches of target guest group: age, nationality, social status. We will also examine the most popular global cruise liners and their kind of majority passengers. Finally, to sum up, we will come to conclusion of the report which shows us results of our research and provide recommendations from author. 2. Definitions of Cruise Tourism Cruise tourism has lots of definitions and we will describe the most important ones. Cruising is defined as a passenger vessel operating for pleasure purposes only. The Ships are not involved in the transportation industry, like ferries or cargo ships. For the Cruiser, it is not a matter of going from A to B; the voyage is a part of a holiday package (Cartwright and Baird, 1999) According to Mintel Leisure Intelligence Report (â€Å"Cruise Industry† March 2001) Cruising tourism refers to time spent on a waterborne vessel for leisure purposes. Within the tourism industry, the term ‘cruising’ is generally assumed to mean sea cruising. This tends to imply trips during which the passenger is primarily based on a vessel that travels to a number of destinations, where they disembark for short periods to visit land-based sites. The vessels are generally fully equipped with entertainment and sporting facilities, and passengers are provided with full-board style accommodation. As travel expert Douglas Ward says, †Over 10 million people can’t be wrong (that’s how many people took a cruise last year)! Cruising is popular today because it takes you away from the pressures and strains of contemporary life by offering an escape from reality. Cruise ships are reality self-contained resorts, without the crime, which can take you to several destinations in the space of just a few days.†(Ward, 2001). The author Gavin MacLeod said that: â€Å"Now as a result of that show being on, the cruise industry is just growing all over the place†. 3. History of Cruise Industry. Our world began to become industrialized and started to trade with foreign lands. Therefore, with industry and wealth, which came to us, people’s instinct to visit parts of the world only read about from these explorers of the past was now a reality once again. The first shipping company to offer a scheduled passenger service from the United States to England was the Black Ball in 1818. Trade and leisure developed equally, which provided with demand the manufacture. A luxurious ship such as the Titanic, which has his own unique history, was a great example. (www.cruiseworking.com) Ships changed very little during the first half of this century. In the 1950 Oceangoing vessels were primarily used to get from Point A to Point B, especially for second- and third-class passengers, whose accommodations were in stark contrast to those in first-class staterooms. The most common voyages were transatlantic crossings from New York to London. (www.jobmonkey.com) The real blow to the cruise ship industry came in the 1960s when Boeing began selling 747s and other aircraft worldwide. Meanwhile, a global transportation network of airports with regulated common language and air traffic controllers, in coordination with the United States Federal Aviation Administration, was being established. As the decade came to a close, it was no longer fashionable, practical, or economical to travel by boat. The age of the jumbo jet had arrived. (www.jobmonkey.com) Finally, in the 1970s contributed to the idea of luxury cruise ship. Cruise ship travelers of all social classes would enjoy first-rate rooms and service. The same is true today. Gone are the days of catering for the elite, this industry is geared up for the masses and is now one of the fastest growing sectors of the travel industry (www.cruiseworking.com). 4. Types of Cruiser Cruising can appeal to everyone, no matter what their budget or interests. Activities onboard range from aerobics aromatherapy, art auctions to rock climbing! Cruising is attracting more families, with a wide range of children’s facilities and childcare on board. So, there are few specific types of cruises: 4.1 Family Cruises Cruise with families is very interesting, useful and funny. This is the great benefit of family cruise vacations is the ability to visit many destinations without constantly packing and unpacking, or piling into the car for long stretches at a time. Once you’re onboard, you don’t need to worry about a thing. Just relax and enjoy! Furthermore, family cruises have many activities and facilities. Cruise vacations can also make for a most memorable new tradition: Holidays-at-Sea. Cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean offer special holiday menus, family activities, holiday-themed fun and even religious services. (See appendix A, p, І, for more information), (http://www.discountcruises.com) 4.2 Couples Cruises Cruisers can be endlessly romantic vocations for couples. People are trying to be more creative for their wedding, honeymoon, vow renews and that is why spend their most important and remembering time in extraordinary conditions. While any of the major cruise lines offer plenty of opportunities for fun and romance, there are those who cater specifically to couples by indulging twosomes in tons of special extras. For example, Princess Cruises helps make your special cruise even more romantic with indulgent add-ons. Swoon-worthy special occasion packages include a bottle of champagne waiting in your stateroom, spa treatments, canapà ©s or petit fours in your stateroom and more. Choose a room with a balcony and you can indulge in a lobster dinner overlooking the sparkling seas, right from the privacy of your balcony. (See Appendix A, p 9, ІІ for more information) Norwegian Cruise Lines serve up romance right in your stateroom with couple’s massages that come to you. Cruise with Holland America and take a gourmet culinary lesson together. And on a Carnival Cruise, nightly live entertainment and Broadway-worthy stage shows abound. (http://www.discountcruises.com) 4.3 Seniors Cruises This kind of cruisers are intending for more advanced people, who will find camaraderie, great times and amazing experiences while vacationing with fellow mature travelers. Also, in this section of cruising connected with differently- abled guests and guest with medical needs. For example, Cunard is one such cruise line that welcomes mature travelers. Enrichment and lecture programs let guests exercise their minds while onboard. Favorites include the Book Club, workshops on oceanography, a theatre class and more. (See Appendix A, p 10, ІІ ) Heart-healthy and delicious dining options are readily available on many cruise lines. In addition to Holland America’s Health Conscious dining option, as part of the As You Wishâ„ ¢ Dining program, guests are welcome to request any dietary needs, such as: vegetarian, diabetic, gluten-free and kosher meals. However, differently-abled guests and guests with medical needs will find Celebrity Cruises quite accommodating. Those will mobility disabilities will be able to board early, have access to scooters while onboard and can take advantage of hydraulic lifts into the sauna/pool on select ships. Deaf/hard of hearing guests as well as visually impaired gusts will also find that every attention to detail has been made to assure a comfortable, enjoyable travel experience. (http://www.discountcruises.com) 4.4 Singles Cruisers Next type of cruisers is singles cruisers, which are unexpectedly different. This form of travelling for people who welcome meeting other singles and there are those who prefer solo, quiet journeys. For example, Holland America goes out of its way to make singles cruisers happy and comfortable. Join in the solo travelers welcome at the start of your cruise. The Single Partners Program features dance partner pairings, dining with other solo cruises at your request and many activities perfect for making new friends. Chose to room with another solo traveler, or indulge in a stateroom all to yourself.(See Appendix A, p 9, І for more information) Princess Cruises also has an extensive program for singles cruisers. Special singles events let you easily meet your shipmates. And once you book your cruise, you’ll have access to an online community where you can chat with other singles cruisers before your ship departs. (http://www.discountcruises.com) 4.5 Gay and Lesbian Cruisers A small number of cruise lines cater exclusively to gay and lesbian travelers. Also, families are also welcome on specific gay-friendly cruises. For example, GLBT cruises are perfect getaways for travelers looking to relax, have a great time and meet new people. An incredible amount of onboard activities and entertainment awaits travelers on GLBT cruises. The fleet of RSVP Vacations’ ships features expansive fitness facilities, sparkling pools, bars and lounges, entertainment stages and luxurious spas. Atlantis Cruises are known for their legendary nightlife, with never ending dance parties and shows that feature top comedic, singing and dancing acts. (See Appendix A, p 10 ІІ for more information) (http://www.discountcruises.com) 4.6 World Cruisers. The most effortless and visually appealing way to visit a variety of global destinations is with a world cruise. World cruises afford you the opportunity to take in many cultures, historic sites and beautiful views without having to constantly pack and unpack and board numerous flights. For example, Cunard’s luxury cruises can include three-month journeys that take you from America to the Caribbean, then to Mexico, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe and beyond. The itineraries and shore excursions are as extensive and unique as the destinations you will visit. (See appendix A,p9, For more information). Princess Cruises’ fleet of ships that travel the world are well equipped with every creature comfort and amenity available. Brimming with entertainment, spacious surroundings and indulgent dining options, you’ll feel at home during your world journey. (See appendix A, p11, III for more information). (http://www.discountcruises.com) World cruises are largely dependent on time and money. The length of the voyage and numerous ports of call mean this vacation option is reserved for a select group of cruise travelers. If time and budget allow, a world cruise can easily be your vacation of a lifetime. 4.7 Luxury Cruisers The most interesting question is: â€Å"What is waiting on you onboard of Luxury Liner? â€Å". So, this is the answer: finest bed linens, most exquisite gourmet dining options, white-glove service and the absolute best amenities available. Elegant ballroom dancers feature guests dressed to the nines in tuxedos and gorgeous gowns. Several bars, clubs and lounges serve up fine wines and enchanting entertainment. Incredible culinary creations are presented to you by waiters expertly trained waiters. For example, Azamara Cruises also take pride in impeccable guest services and luxury amenities. Boasting one staff member per two guests, you will undoubtedly be well taken care of on Azamara Cruises. In-room spa treatments bring a bit of luxury and relaxation right to you and the onboard Wellness Consultant is available to meet with. Acupuncture at Sea is another ultra-luxurious way to melt stress away. (See Appendix A, p 10, II for more information). (http://www.discountcruises.com) Whe n budget is no option, these cruises are waiting to treat you like royalty and wrap you in luxury and comfort. 4.8 Cruisers to nowhere. This kind of cruisers, which is perfect for travelers who have limited time on their hands and a pretty tight budget, â€Å"cruises to nowhere,† are gaining popularity. Typically one or two nights in length, these cruises leave the dock and sail the waters without reaching another port of call. It’s a great way to try out a cruise line, so to speak. For example,Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line are just two of the major cruise lines that offer these fun, quick getaways-at-sea. (See Appendix A p 11, III for more information). (http://www.discountcruises.com) 5. Famous Cruise Lines around the World. There are a few but famous cruise lines around the world. They are supplying with world-class comfort and high standards of service. Some of them may have worldwide reputations while others may be known only in certain geographic areas that they visit often. â€Å"Whatever the repute of the individual cruise line, one factor that passengers like is the kind of experience they get, which more than meets their individual needs and lifestyles†(www.hobby.vocaboly.com). 5.1 American Cruise Lines American Cruise Lines are for those people who interested to visit several of exotic destinations across United States. â€Å"This cruise can take travelers to cosmopolitan cities, as well as visit remote islands that dot the coastline of the country to cosmopolitan cities, as well as visit remote islands that dot the coastline of the country† (www.hobby.vocaboly.com). (See Appendix A,12, IV for more information. In addition, there are a lot of experts on board, who let passengers into history and nature of locality. 5.2 Cunard Cruise Line Canard Cruise Line is very famous. â€Å"Traditional luxury crossings, which began in 1840, went a step further when the Queen Mary II was launched in 2004 to become the flagship known as The Most Famous Ocean Liner in the World. This is the tallest, longest, largest, and most expensive ocean liner in the world and boasts of unparalleled amenities and accommodations.† (www.hobby.vocaboly.com). 5.3 Disney Cruise Line Disney Cruise Line, for those who in hope for family experience, which suggest passengers packages and activities that meet their unique needs. â€Å"This cruise line is owned and operated by the dream makers, Disney, and it sails to the Bahamas, and has land and sea vacation packages that include a stay at the Walt Disney Resort† (http://hobby.vocaboly.com/288/famous-cruise-lines-around-the-world/). (See Appendix A,12, IV for more information) 5.5 Princess Cruises Line Princess Cruise Line is global cruise and tour company, which well-known in United States. The main advantage of Princess is variety of options for passengers. Different kind of dining, activities and facilities. â€Å"This cruise line serves most of the countries of the world, and it has a strong presence in the United States as well†( (http://hobby.vocaboly.com/288/famous-cruise-lines-around-the-world/). 6. Cruise facts and statistics According to data of Cruise Association, the passengers of cruise lines: In cruising more interested: The most popular nationalities are: The most popular visitors are: Cruisers primarily travel with: 80% of cruise passengers think that cruising is an important vehicle for sampling destination to which they may return. Cruisers indicate their return for land-based vocations as follows: Cruisers spend, approximately 1,770 $ per person per week and other vacations as compared to non-cruise vacationers who spend an average of 1,200$ 7. Recommendations According to our researches for this report, we can give you some recommendations for cruise tourism ,which you can find below: 1) Cruise agencies should be more promoted for the tourists. They can use all the resources, for example TV companies, Radio and Mass Media. 2) Better marketing through journals, newspapers, magazines and publicity, of course. 3) In some countries, cruise tourism need to pay more many for personal. 4) Government should be more creative and supportive in developing of cruise tourism. 5) The army, soldiers and officers should be more trained and experienced in cruise sphere. 6) Science and factories should step together nowadays. We are in need of new ideas and future plans. 8. Conclusion. In this report we discussed the most important and interesting information about cruise tourism. We began from explanation of term of†cruise tourism†. The second stage was the history. We started with the first shipping company to offer a scheduled passenger service from the United States to England was the Black Ball in 1818 and continued with cruise tourism industry nowadays. We examine the the types of cruisers and continued world famous cruise lines. According Cruise Association we showed the facts and statistics data. The results have shown that people are very interested in cruise travelling. Moreover we gave some recommendations that were dedicated from the answers on the questions asked by the author. To sum up, we should mention that cruise tourism is a very popular and developing sphere and we have to be always in search of new ideas and creations in it.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Banking Industry in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and Performance

Journal of Business Research, vol. 3, 2001 This article is brought to you by www. bdresearch. org Banking Sector in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and Performance Sharif Rayhan Siddique* A F M Mafizul Islam** Abstract: The paper attempted to highlight the prospects and opportunities of banking sector in Bangladesh. Like other economic sector in the country, Banking is one of major sectors which contribute to the national economy. The study tried to furnish the overview of the performances of banking sector and also find out the comparison among the various categories of banks with respect to the Profitability.Finally, the paper tried to establish the linear relationship among the various variables and net profit of the banking sector. 1. Introduction Banking sector of Bangladesh is one of the major sectors, which contributes significantly to the national economy. The sector comprises a number of banks in various categories. Considering ownership the sector can be classified in to four major categories – such as Nationalized Commercial Banks (NCBs), Specialized Banks (SPBs), Private Commercial Banks (PCBs), and Trans-National Banks (TNBs). The list of banks under different categories is furnished in the appendix – A.The study has been initiated to analyze the contribution of this sector and its profitability. This paper attempts to provide an overview of the contribution of the sector in national economy. The paper also analyzes the profitability of different categories of banks. Finally a regression analysis has been done to examine the relationship between the profitability and other variables. 2. Contribution of the Banking sector in National Economy Economic development – of the country is executed by the contribution of various economic sectors. Like agriculture, industries, power, transport, rade service, etc. , banking sector also has a contribution to the economic growth. In mid 80s Banking and Insurance contributed 1. 69% of GDP and g radually the figure was increasing. The maximum contribution was 2. 09% of GDP in the year 1993 and it was 2. 00% in 1996-971 Average growth rate of this contribution was 1. 51% of GDP, which shows a positive trend. Again, the sector makes a positive impact on the economic development by generating employment. In the year 1980 total number of employees in this sector was 59,235 but with in 15 years of time the figure shoot approximately double to 101,444. The average growth rate of employment generation was 3. 76% (1980-1995). Countries like Bangladesh have a burden of its unemployment, where as banking sector still keep certain impact on employment generation. __________________________ * Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka. ** Associate Professor, Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka. 1 Calculated from the data collected from Economic Trend, December 1997. 2 Ibid. 2 Banking Sector in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and P erformance Branches of the banks were also growing significantly.Increasing branches indicate a wide service provider to the population of Bangladesh. Overall growth rate of the bank branches was 2. 11% (1980-1995). But before 1990 the rate was 3. 00% and after 1990 it was 0. 92%. In early 80s for the first time Government of Bangladesh (GOB) allowed private sector to operate commercial banks. At that time number of bank branches was growing rapidly. In the early 90s this growth rate was reduced, which may be because of the saturation stage. Individuals and business organizations used to deposit their savings in the bank and borrow money form it.More the bank branches more people can be covered to avail them in banking services. Average population per branch was 19,875 during the period from 1984 to 1995. Because of the higher population growth rate (2. 22%),3 in spite of increasing branches, the population per branch was also increasing. Commercial banks are one of the profit makin g organizations, they are also making money by investing their deposits to the profitable venture through lending to the entrepreneurs. Commercial banks earn money from interest for loan and commissions and service charges for the services and it incurred expenditure as well.Average profit per taka of expenditure was 0. 10. Before 1991 this figure was quite good, but after 1991 the ratio was negative up to 1993. Maximum figure was in the year 1982 that was 0. 23 and minimum was -0. 04 in the year 1991. Recently the ratio became 0. 07 in the year 1995. During 1991 to 1993 net profit was negative. i. e. commercial banks spent more than earning but again they improved the situation by reducing their expenditure compared to income. Banks' income generated by the positive efforts of their employees.Efficient employees can earn more which observed a positive impact to profit generation. Income per employee can be one of the indicators of commercial banks' performance. Average income per e mployee from 1980 to 1995 was Tk. 227,046, i. e. per employees' contribution to income was more than Tk. 2 lacs. The ratio was increasing significantly with the average growth rate of 12%, to Tk. 371,297 in the year 1995. A country leads itself to the economic development by investing and producing more in the local area. Investment can be ensured through increased savings rate.Monetization ratio indicates a positive impact to the economic growth. This ratio is Broad Money to GDP. Average monetization ratio was 28% of GDP, and it was growing significantly from 17% in the year 1981 to 35% in the year 1995. 4 Commercial banks, as a whole, performing well and contributing to the economic development of the country. The average profitability of all banks collectively was 0. 09% during 1980 to 1995, which means profit Tk. 0. 09 earned by utilizing assets of Tk. 100. In every aspect of profit, banking sector contributes to national economy as well as to the individual organization.Despite overall growth of the banking sector was positive, but the performances of different categories of banks were not equally attractive. Following section would compare analytically the performances of various categories of banks. _____________________________________________ 3 4 Calculated from the data collected from Statistical Yearbook, 1996. Ibid. Journal of Business Research, Vol. 3, 2001 3 3. Profitability of the Different Categories of Banks: A Comparative Analysis Main focus of this comparison on net profit earned by the banks.Profit ratio, profit per taka of expenditure, profit per employee, profit per branch, profit per advance account, profit per taka of investment, profit per taka of deposit (savings), and per capita profit earned by the banks will be the variables for this analysis. Various groups of banks have different performances in terms of profit. Average measures were calculated for different categories of banks over the period from 1980 to 1995. 3. 1 Profit Ratio In case of profitability, i. e. amount of profit per Tk. 100 of asset. The ratio indicates the effective utilization of assets.Performance of the organization can be expressed by this ratio. Average profitability ratios for the various categories of banks during 1980 to 1995 were exhibited in the table below: Table 1: Profit Ratio for Various Banks Banks Profit Ratio (%) NCBs 0. 08 SPBs -0. 32 PCBs 0. 13 TNBs 0. 71 Over all 0. 09 Source: Adopted from data in Appendix – B. The table indicated the performances in terms of utilization of assets in generating profit TNBs were the best. Specialized Banks had a very worst situation in utilizing of their assets, by showing negative average net profit.Though as of 1990 net profits were increasing positively, but from 1991 to 1995 these net profit were gradually decreased to negative because of their declining income. On the other hand TNBs performance was excellent as compared to overall banks performance. Average growth rate of net profit for TNBs was 39%, which was extremely good. 3. 2 Profit per Taka of Expenditure Banks earned profit by incurring expenditure for their operations. Effective usage of financial resources led to a commendable profit situation. â€Å"How much profit earned by spending one taka† is the measure of efficiency of an organization.Following table shows net profit per taka of expenditure for the different banks Table 2 : Profit per Taka of Expenditure for Various Banks Banks Profit per taka of expenditure (Tk. ) NCBs 0. 029 SPBs -0. 092 PCBs 0. 033 TNBs 0. 307 Overall 0. 10 Source: Adopted from data in Appendix – B. 4 Banking Sector in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and Performance Over all average profit was Tk. 0. 1 by incurring expenditure of Tk. 1. i. e. average return on expenditure was 10%. But in case of individual performance SPBs had negative average return on expenditure (-9. %), on the other hand TNBs performance (30. 7%) was above the industry average. Other th an these two NCBs and PCBs both had vulnerable situation. 3. 3 Profit per Employee Effective utilization of human resources produces higher return. Earned more profit by few numbers of employee indicates commendable performance of the banks and human efficiency. Since the nature of the industry is service oriented, so human efficiency depends on intellectual abilities of the employees. Following table shows the comparison among various banks Table 3 : Profit per Employee for Various BanksBanks Profit per employee (Tk. ) NCBs 4,538 SPBs -34,216 PCBs 9,659 TNBs 285,659 Over all 12,88 Source: Adopted from data in Appendix – B. Over all profit per employee was Tk. 12,880, i. e. each employee's average contribution to the net profit was Tk. 12,880 in a year. TNBs as compared with overall, the figure was extremely good (Tk. 285,659). There are two indications for this picture, one is TNBs had highly efficient employees, and other is less number of employees. On the other hand excep t SPBs (which had negative figure), NCBs average profit per employee was Tk. ,538, which was far below from TNBs, even below from overall performance, which shows un-utilized human resources. 3. 4 Profit per Branch All categories of banks have numbers of branches covering wide range of the population of the country. To provide service to the wide range of people, banks have to establish multiple branches. Contribution to the total profit of different branches was varied, depending on the amount of deposits and advances. Table below expresses average profit contribution by the branches. Table 4 : Profit per Branch for Various Banks Banks Profit per branch (Tk. ) NCBs 6,205 SPBs -491,827 PCBs 181,548 TNBs 13,171,737 Over all 210,481 Source: Adopted from data in Appendix – B. 5 Banking Sector in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and Performance Considering all commercial banks in Bangladesh, these were earned on an average Tk. 0. 064 from investing one taka. The average Return on Inv estment (ROI) was not inadequate (6. 4%) as compared to any business. In case of TNBs this rate was very attractive (12. 7%), but except SPBs, both NCBs and PCBs had 1. 2% and 2. 5% respectively. 3. 7 Per Capita Profit Commercial banks are operating countrywide by offering services.Accumulating funds and distributing them to entrepreneur was the main function of commercial banks. Wider area coverage makes the commercial bank more comfortable in terms of operation. Per capita profit earned by the commercial bank would indicate overall economic strength of banking system. Average profit gained per head can be expressed in the table below: Table 7 : Per Capita Profit for Various Banks Banks Per Capita Profit (Tk. ) NCBs 2. 53 SPBs -5. 25 PCBs 1. 46 TNBs 2. 51 Over all 10. 66 Source: Adopted from data in Appendix – B. Average profit per individual in the country for all banks was Tk. 0. 66, i. e. banking sector earns over Tk. 10 per head. But using same coverage for different cat egories of banks, the picture would be different. In case of NCBs operation they gained on an average Tk. 2. 53 per individual, where as TNBs earned Tk. 2. 51 per head. Apparently these two figures were same but considering the coverage in terms of number of branches, NCBs have 170 time more branches than TNBs. 3. 8 Overall Situation Considering all variables regarding profit, TNBs were doing extraordinarily good operation in this sector. Because of the policies and managements TNBs performance was better.Keeping TNBs aside, PCBs performance comparatively better. As far as the ownership was concerned both NCBs and SPBs were same. PCBs started their operations in 1982, before the Government of Bangladesh controlled that total financial sector. But after allowing private sectors to operate commercial banks, PCBs were gradually capturing the market share. Surprisingly SPBs had negative performances in every aspect because of their negative net profit. 4. Relationship of Profit With Oth er Variables In the above section comparison of profitability among various groups of banks has been discussed.But it was desired to know about the sensitivity of profit on various variables. Journal of Business Research, Vol. 3, 2001 6 Multiple regression analysis has been done to analyze the relationship between net profit as dependent variable and asset, expenditure, number of employees, number of branches, number of advance accounts, investment, time deposit are as independent variables. In this paper it was assumed that the relationship among the variables was linear, which is ? = A + B? + C? + D? + E? + F? + G? + H? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. i) where, ? is net profit ? is number of employees ? is amount of expenditure ? is number of branches ? is amount of investment ? is amount of asset ? is amount of time deposit ? is number of advance accounts A is constant The following section e xpressed the determination of coefficient of the independent variables, which indicate the degree of influences on net profit by corresponding variables. 4. 1 Regression Result Based on data provided in appendix – C, the values of coefficients and constant were calculated and also found the relationship among them.Multiple linear regression equation is expressed in equation (ii). ? = – 68459+0. 002 ? -0. 186 ? +0. 159? -0. 084? +0. 003? +0. 133 ? -1. 03Ãâ€"10-6?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (ii) Above linear equation shows that some of the independent variables have positive relationship and others have negative. Amount of expenditure, amount of investment and number of advance accounts all have negative relationship with net profit. On the other hand amount of asset, number of employees, number of branches and amount of time deposit have positive relationship with net profit.Further, the strength of the relationship among the variables measured by the coefficient of determination (r2). The value was calculated as 0. 89, indicating very strong relationship. Therefore, the independent variables collectively may play important role on earning net profit in the banking sector as a whole. 4. 2 Scope to Improve of Profit In the equation (ii), it was evident that some of the independent variables have positive impact on net profit, though the degree of influences was very low. Net profit may increases by increasing values, which have positive relations.From equation (ii), it was 7 Banking Sector in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and Performance clear that number of employee, number of branches, amount of asset and amount of time deposit have positive relations with net profit. From above relationship, it can be explained that if number of employee increased by one, the net profit will increase by Tk. 0. 002 crores, i. e. every 1,000 employees can contribute Tk. 2 crores to net profit. This indicated that there might be still opportunities to generate employment in th is sector and can contribute to the national economy.Again number of branches has also positive impact on net profit. Equation (ii) reflects that increase in one branch may increase net profit by the amount of Tk. 0. 159 crores, which also testifies that there was still scope to increase branches. In Bangladesh there were opportunities to establish branches in the rural areas where lots of business potentials were looking for the banking service. Another variable the amount of asset has positive relationship with net profit. Even it has very little influences on profit; every Tk. 1,000 crores of assets would increase net profit by the amount of Tk. 3 crores.Therefore, it was apparent that there was still room to increase the amount of asset to earn more profit. Finally, the amount of time deposit was other variable, which has positive influences on net profit. Coefficient of this variable in equation (ii) was 0. 133, this indicated that every Tk. 1,000 crores increase in time deposi t would increase profit by the amount of Tk. 133 crores. Analyzing above relationship, time deposit has stronger influences on net profit. Therefore, banking sector as a whole may increase their contribution to national economy if the amount of time deposit was increased.Analyzing the regression equation it was clear that some of the independent variables have positive control over the generation of net profit, and also might increase the contribution of the banking sector to national economy by increasing the values of those variables. 5. Conclusion The performance of the banking sector in terms of net profit varies in various groups of bank. The study revealed that in every aspect, TNBs had a commendable performance. But comparing among other groups of banks (NCBs, SPBs, and PCBs), PCBs had preferred achievement aiming profit. On the other hand Specialized Banks in Bangladesh had a very poor performance.This meager activity affected the overall banking sector's performance. The co mparison among various categories of banks has been done on the basis of the profit with respect to some other variables. The study also revealed the relationship among the dependent variable and independent variables. The equation (ii) shows the weights of the independent variables that influences net profit of the banking sector. Finally, the paper intended to identify the scopes and opportunities of the factors by which over all net profit might increase, and contribute to the national economy.Journal of Business Research, Vol. 3, 2001 8 References 1. Mohammad Moqbul Hossain Bhuiyan. (1995). Managerial Effectiveness of Private Commercial Banks : A Comparative Study. Journal of Business Studies, Vol. XVI, No-1, June. 2. Sujit Ranjan Saha. (1996). Ancillary Business and Profitability of Banks : Trends and Prospects. Bank Parikrama. Vol. XXI, Nos – 1 & 2, March & June. 3. Taufic Ahmad Choudhury and others. (1994). Comparative Characteristics of Profit Earning and Loss Incurri ng Rural Bank Branches in Bangladesh. Bank Parikrama. Vol. XIX, Nos – 3 & 4, September & December. 4.Abdul Ghafar Ismail. (1993). Deregulation and Bank Behaviour in Mixed markets. The Asian Economic Review. Vol. XXXV, No – 2, August. 5. Dipendra Sinha. (1996). Savings and Economic Growth in India. The Asian Economic Review. Vol. XXXVIII, No – 3, December. 6. Amar Chand Kaushik. (1996). Impact Study of Regional Rural Bank's Credit on Income Generation an d Poverty Alleviation in Rural Haryana. The Asian Economic Review. Vol. XXXVIII, No – 1, April. 7. David Lynch. (1996). Measuring Financial Sector Development : A Study of Selected Asia-Pacific Countries. The Developing Economics. Vol.XXXIV, No – 1, March. 8. Schiller, Bradley R. (1994). The Macro Economy Today. Sixth Edition. McGrawHill Inc. , New York, USA. 9. McConnell, Campbell R. and Brue, Stanley L. (1993). Macro Economics. Twelfth Edition. McGraw-Hill Inc. , New York, USA. 10. Fischer, Stanle y. , Dornbusch, Rudiger. And other. (1988). Introduction to Macroeconomics. 2nd Edition. McGraw Hill, New York, USA. 11. Department of Statistics. (1997). Monthly Economic Trends. Bangladesh Bank. December. 12. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. (1997). Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh 1996. Seventeenth Edition. November. 9Banking Sector in Bangladesh: Its Contribution and Performance Appendix – A List of Banks: [a] Nationalized Commercial Banks (NCBs) Agrani Bank Janata Bank Sonali Bank Rupali Bank Ltd. [b] Specialized Banks (SPBs) Bangladesh Krishi Bank Bangladesh Shilpa Bank Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank [c] Private Commercial Banks (PCBs) Arab Bangladesh Bank Ltd. Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. National Bank Ltd. The City Bank Ltd. IFIC Bank Ltd. United Commercial Bank Ltd. Pubali Bank Ltd. Uttara Bank Ltd. Al-Baraka Bank Bangladesh Ltd. BSIC Bangladesh Ltd. Eastern Bank Ltd. National Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd.Prime Bank Ltd. Southeast Bank Ltd. Dhaka Bank Ltd. Al-Arafah I slami Bank Ltd. Social Investment Bank Ltd. Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd. [d] TNBs Hanil Bank Hongkong Bank Society General Bank American Express Bank Ltd. ANZ Grindlays Bank Plc. S tandard Chartered Bank State Bank of India Habib Bank Ltd. Citi Bank N A Banque Indosuez National Bank of Pakistan Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd. J ournal of Business Research, Vol. 3, 2001 10 Appendix – B Various Data for PCBs Year 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Advance Assets Net Profit Expenditure Employees BranchesAccounts (cror (cror Tk. ) (cror Tk. ) (no. ) (no. ) (no. ) Tk. ) 82 2132 1877 8 173 11562 628 8429 5202 14 245 11813 653 283320 6381 16 281 12756 693 267393 7768 22 366 13552 715 178460 7208 25 438 14810 771 160220 9072 14 594 16107 824 160834 9514 2 682 16916 865 165290 11059 (11) 765 17486 902 169549 12445 (8) 886 18034 942 84913 15502 12 819 17826 943 90599 15783 16 865 18806 1000 102055 24190 72 907 19777 1047 117985 26794 Various Data for TNBs Net A dvance Expenditure Employees Branches Year Profit Accounts (cror Tk. ) (no. ) (no. ) (cror Tk. ) (no. ) 1980 3 20 912 21 1882 1981 8 25 984 21 542 1982 11 32 999 21 2910 1983 12 45 1061 20 2888 1984 15 62 1042 20 3098 1985 18 77 1051 20 3610 1986 14 98 1064 22 3929 1987 22 119 1114 22 4144 1988 21 146 1124 22 4887 1989 7 147 1123 22 3971 1990 18 154 1135 22 3890 1991 25 99 789 18 2355 1992 38 65 826 18 2463 1993 54 92 826 18 3969 1994 68 106 888 19 6329 1995 90 146 926 23 9215 Investment (cror Tk. ) 76 293 346 327 396 506 554 787 750 653 879 1266 1439 Assets Investment (cror Tk. ) (cror Tk. ) 757 1280 1526 1476 1848 2281 2887 3245 4330 4697 4694 5575 4297 4377 5832 7111 51 70 109 118 156 163 177 196 300 279 358 340 228 203 260 266 Related article: Padma Bridge

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

12 Controversial Essay Topics on Alfred Russel Wallace vs Charles Darwin

12 Controversial Essay Topics on Alfred Russel Wallace vs Charles Darwin If you are tasked with writing a controversial essay on Alfred Russel Wallace versus Charles Darwin, it is important that you include many facts related to the two key figures in support of your claim. Chances are, this type of assignment is one which requires you to address the controversy that exists between the contributions and theories proposed by both men. In that case, look over the facts below to see if any of them are useful in your next writing assignment: Wallace was born in 1823 and was a key figure in the idea of natural selection and its relation to evolution. This biologist is hardly ever mentioned by name today, even though he was quite famous with a glistening reputation during his lifetime. He did not shy away from controversy and was proud of the fact that he believed the spirits of those deceased were among us. He also was the first biologist to note any concerns about the negative impact that humans were having on the environment. Darwin explained the impact of his findings on philosophical points of view, as well as scientific and religious points of view. Those among the educated society of the time accepted his theory of natural selection, and in spite of the excessive support and evidence he has, there are still those today who doubt these claims. Wallace came from a middle class family which was not well off. He attended grammar school because it was free of charge and had no formal training in biology nor did he attend a university. He worked initially with his older brother as a land surveyor. It was his time spent out of doors which inspired him to read the works of Charles Darwin and Alexander von Humboldt and to collet insects. Wallace traveled to Brazil with Henry Bates in 1848 in an effort to emulate his heroes. He funded his trip by surveying the course of the Rio Negro for over four years, collecting Amazon based specimens for sale to British institutions and collectors, and by making observations about the people and languages he found in the Amazon. He spent a total of 6 years here prior to returning home with his specimens and writings. Unfortunately, while sailing home his ship caught fire on the ocean and he had to abandon ship. He was on an open boat for 10 days before being picked up. He lost the majority of his drawings, writings, and his specimens but he did take out insurance for the specimens and as such received a settlement for the loss. Darwin is famous for his publications on natural selection, which state that all species found on earth have evolved from common ancestors, a process whereby the most favorable traits in a species become the most common traits for successive generations while those less favorable traits begin to diminish. Darwin presented evidence from his five years on the HMS Beagle during which time he collected specimens and notes from the Falkland Islands, Brazil, Chile, the Galapagos Islands, and Australia. Wallace returned from Brazil and authored two books and was able to write and publish six papers for an academic journal. It was during this time that he was able to spend a great deal of time getting to know other naturalists in Britain. Wallace went to the East Indies when he turned 31 and enjoyed a successful expedition, even more so than Brazil. He was able to send over 100,000 new species back to Britain from New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. He observed the short stretch of water found between Bali and Lombok, which changed the animal life there. This space today is referred to as the Wallace Line and it marks the place where the Australian wildlife meets the Asian wildlife. He returned at the age of 39. Wallace began to write about the theory of natural selection, before it was called that officially, after his trip to Brazil. He explained that there were geographical barriers which marked the boundaries of individual species. While in the East Indies he had tropical fever which resulted in hallucinations. He wrote that the theory of natural selection had come to him when he awoke. He stated that animals breed faster than humans and the annual destruction which results indicates that animals do not increase their breeding year to year, or that breed would have taken over the world at present. From this he asked why some species died and others survived, deciding that it was based entirely on which was best fitted to survive. Darwin suffered from many illnesses throughout the end of his life but continued with research and experiments. His work on natural selection took a few decades to be widely accepted by scientists across the fields. Darwin first authored his book on natural selection and the theory of evolution in 1859 after which he wrote multiple other books including â€Å"The Descent of Man†, and another book after that which was called â€Å"The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals†, as well as â€Å"The Power of Movement in Plants†, among many others. Today, Darwin’s books remain quote popular, as well as his publications on his travels and his correspondence. These all continue to remain widely accepted as substantiated scientific theories. In fact, the book on natural selection is a best seller even today and remains one of the most scientifically influential books even written. Wallace passed away at the age of 90 in 1913. Darwin was born in 1809 and passed away in 1882. Wallace was the recipient of the Royal Medal, the Darwin Medal, the Founder’s Medal, the Order of Merift, and the Linnean Medal, among many others. He was renowned as one of the greatest biologists in the world at the time that he died and had received many of these awards near the end of his lifetime. These facts can be perfectly combined with the special topics and a sample essay that are related to Darwin and Wallace. But if you have problems writing, then upgrade your skills by reading this guide on a controversial essay or contact our custom essay writing service online. References: Darwin, Charles.  The Autobiography of Charles Darwin. No. 487. Dana Robinson, 2015. Darwin, Charles.  The descent of man. Digireads. com Publishing, 2004. Darwin, Charles.  The origin of species by means of natural selection: or, the preservation of favored races in the struggle for life. Ed. William F. Bynum. AL Burt, 2009. Spruce, Richard, and Alfred Russel Wallace.  Notes of a Botanist on the Amazon and Andes. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, 2014. Wallace, Alfred Russel.  Darwinism: an exposition of the theory of natural selection with some of its applications. Cosimo, Inc., 2007. Wallace, Alfred Russel.  The Malay Archipelago: the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise; a narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature. Courier Corporation, 1869. Wallace, Alfred Russel, and Sir James Marchant.  Alfred Russel Wallace. Cassell, Limited, 1916.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Profile of Robert Koch, Founder of Modern Bacteriology

Profile of Robert Koch, Founder of Modern Bacteriology The German physician  Robert Koch (December 11, 1843 - May 27, 1910) is considered the father of modern bacteriology for his work  demonstrating that specific microbes are responsible for causing specific diseases. Koch discovered the life cycle of the bacteria responsible for anthrax and identified the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and cholera. Fast Facts: Robert Koch Nickname: Father of Modern BacteriologyOccupation: PhysicianBorn: December 11, 1843 in Clausthal, GermanyDied: May 27, 1910 in Baden-Baden, GermanyParents: Hermann Koch and Mathilde Julie Henriette BiewandEducation: University of Gà ¶ttingen (M.D.)Published Works: Investigations into the Etiology of Traumatic Infective Diseases (1877)Key Accomplishments: Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (1905)Spouse(s): Emmy Fraatz (m. 1867–1893), Hedwig Freiberg (m. 1893–1910)Child: Gertrude Koch Early Years Robert Heinrich Hermann Koch was born December 11, 1843 in the German town of Clausthal. His parents, Hermann Koch and Mathilde Julie Henriette Biewand, had thirteen children. Robert was the third child and the oldest surviving son. Even as a child, Koch demonstrated a love of nature and showed a high degree of intelligence. He reportedly taught himself to read at the age of five. Koch became interested in biology in high school and entered the University of Gà ¶ttingen in 1862, where he studied medicine. While in medical school, Koch was highly influenced by his anatomy instructor Jacob Henle, who had  published a work in 1840 proposing that microorganisms are responsible for causing infectious disease. Career and Research Upon earning his medical degree  with high honors from the University of Gà ¶ttingen in 1866, Koch practiced privately for a while in the town of Langenhagen and later in Rakwitz. In 1870, Koch voluntarily enlisted in the German military during the Franco-Prussian War. He served as a doctor in a battlefield hospital treating wounded soldiers. Two years later, Koch became the District Medical Officer for the city of Wollstein. He would hold this position from 1872 to 1880. Koch was later appointed to the Imperial Health Office in Berlin, a position he held from 1880 to 1885. During his time in Wollstein and Berlin, Koch began his laboratory investigations of bacterial pathogens that would bring him national and world-wide recognition. Anthrax Life Cycle Discovery Robert Kochs anthrax research was the first to demonstrate that a specific infectious disease was caused by a specific microbe. Koch gained insight from prominent scientific researchers of his time, such as Jacob Henle, Louis Pasteur, and Casimir Joseph Davaine. Work by Davaine indicated that animals with anthrax contained microbes in their blood. When healthy animals were inoculated with the blood of infected animals, the healthy animals became diseased. Davaine postulated that anthrax must be caused by the blood microbes. Robert Koch took this investigation further by obtaining pure anthrax cultures and identifying bacterial spores  (also called  endospores). These resistant cells can survive for years under harsh conditions such as high temperatures, dryness, and the presence of toxic enzymes or chemicals. The spores remain dormant until conditions become favorable for them to develop into vegetative (actively growing) cells capable of causing disease. As a result of Kochs research, the life cycle of the anthrax bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was identified. Laboratory Research Techniques Robert Kochs research led  to the development and refinement of a number of laboratory techniques that are still in use today. In order for Koch to obtain pure bacterial cultures for study, he had to find a suitable medium on which to grow the microbes. He perfected a method for turning a liquid medium (culture broth) into a solid medium by mixing it with agar. The agar gel medium was ideal for growing pure cultures as it was transparent, remained solid at body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F), and bacteria did not use it as a food source. An assistant of Koch, Julius Petri, developed a special plate called a Petri dish for holding the solid growth medium. Additionally, Koch refined techniques for preparing bacteria for microscope viewing. He developed glass slides and cover slips as well as methods for heat fixing and staining bacteria with dyes in order to improve visibility. He also developed techniques for the use of steam sterilization and methods for photographing (micro-photography) bacteria and other microbes. Koch's Postulates Koch published Investigations into the Etiology of Traumatic Infective Diseases  in 1877. In it, he outlined procedures for obtaining pure cultures and bacteria isolation methods. Koch also developed guidelines or postulates for determining that a particular disease is due to a specific microbe. These postulates were developed during Kochs study of anthrax and outlined four basic principles that apply when establishing the causative agent of an infectious disease: The suspected microbe must be found in all instances of the disease, but not in healthy animals.The suspected microbe must be isolated from a diseased animal and grown in pure culture.When a healthy animal is inoculated with the suspected microbe, the disease must develop.The microbe must be isolated from the inoculated animal, grown in pure culture, and be identical to the microbe obtained from the original diseased animal. Tuberculosis and Cholera Bacteria Identification By 1881, Koch had set his sights on identifying the microbe responsible for causing the deadly disease tuberculosis. While other researchers had been able to demonstrate that tuberculosis was caused by a microorganism, no one had been able to stain or identify the microbe. Using modified staining techniques, Koch was able to isolate and identify the responsible bacteria:  Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Koch announced his discovery in March of 1882 at the Berlin Psychological Society. News of the discovery spread, quickly reaching the United States by April of 1882. This discovery brought Koch world-wide notoriety and acclaim. Next, as the head of the German Cholera Commission in 1883, Koch began investigating  cholera  outbreaks in Egypt and India. By 1884, he had isolated and identified the causative agent of cholera as  Vibrio cholerae. Koch also developed methods for controlling cholera epidemics that serve as the basis for modern day standards of control. In 1890, Koch claimed to have discovered a cure for tuberculosis, a substance he called tuberculin. Although tuberculin turned out  not to be a cure, Kochs work with tuberculosis earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1905. Death and Legacy Robert Koch continued his investigative research into infectious diseases until his health began to fail in his early sixties. A few years prior to his death, Koch suffered a heart attack brought on by heart disease. On May 27, 1910, Robert Koch died in Baden-Baden, Germany at the age of 66. Robert Kochs contributions to microbiology and bacteriology have had a major impact on modern scientific research practices and the study of infectious diseases. His work helped to establish the germ theory of disease as well as to refute spontaneous generation. Kochs laboratory techniques and sanitation methods serve as the foundation for modern day methods for microbe identification and disease control. Sources Adler, Richard. Robert Koch and American Bacteriology. McFarland, 2016. Chung, King-thom, and Jong-kang Liu. Pioneers In Microbiology: The Human Side Of Science. World Scientific, 2017. Robert Koch - Biographical. Nobelprize.org, Nobel Media AB, 2014, www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1905/koch-bio.html. Robert Koch Scientific Works. Robert Koch Institute, www.rki.de/EN/Content/Institute/History/rk_node_en.html. Sakula, Alex. Robert Koch: Centenary of the Discovery of the Tubercle Bacillus, 1882. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 1983, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790283/.