ESSAY-Seven leadership traits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

-Seven leadership traits - Essay Example courage of initiative and action which entails making first attempts, pursuing pioneering efforts and stepping up for the task no matter the situation. The second one is the courage of confidence in others. This often involves not controlling situations or outcomes, having faith in other people and being open to change. The third type is the courage of voice and is marked by raising difficult issues which need to be addressed and providing the feedback needed at a particular time. Courage will help me attain major goals in my life because I will face it no with no fear or intimidation. As a leader I am able to communicate my vision to the other people. This involves painting a picture with the words such as speak it, write it, draw it and touch it. Communicating my vision openly with my close associates helps me correct some of the many mistakes I would have done if I did not talk to anybody about it. In this sense I try re-evaluating my vision from time to time so that it stays connected with the changing times. The vision is my ultimate desired goal and I always work hard towards it. Passion for my set goals has inspired me to actually take on new and dangerous challenges head on. I let my passion and vision shine through the activities I undertake daily. My passion is framed in such a way that it goes hand in hand with my vision so that I can be able to reach my set goals at the end of the day. If I am passionate of my undertakings, it means I love what I am doing and there is no day I will be bored. I always know of the next action to take while performing my duties. While I have a goal to meet, I have a plan so that I can manage time properly. I will usually do activities at the allocated time and avoid giving excuses or blaming other people about my failures. I know this will help me a long way after college because I need to be punctual on assignments given to me at my working place and other personal activities. The impact is the overall outcome of my

School Choice †An Educational Custom Fit Essay Example for Free

School Choice – An Educational Custom Fit Essay Imagine if only one size of pants were sold in stores and government regulations wouldn’t allow any other size to be made available to consumers. This may sound crazy but it’s much like what’s happening with the education of our nation’s children. As Americans we enjoy a wide range of personal choice, and thankfully it includes our ability to select the pants that fit us best. But think for a moment about traditional public education. For decades the public school system has offered a one size fits all approach to educating our nation’s children. As we approached the 21st century, the public school system began to show its age. More and more children began to fall behind in a rapidly changing environment marked by the introduction of personal computers and later the internet. Sensing a need for change, many people began to push for new educational models that would keep up with the times. This marked the beginning of the school choice movement. Both charter schools and school voucher programs are collectively referred to as â€Å"school choice† initiatives, in that they allow parents freedom to choose individualized education options for their children that are outside of the traditional â€Å"one size fits all’ public school system. A school voucher program provides parents with certificates that are used to pay for education at a school of their choice, rather than the public school to which they are assigned. Charter schools on the other hand are publicly funded schools that have been freed from inefficient public school system rules and regulations in exchange for accountability to produce positive, measurable results. These agreed to results are set forth in each school’s.

A Conjoint Analysis in High Involvement Purchase Decision

A Conjoint Analysis in High Involvement Purchase Decision There was a time when humans hardly cared for the environment around them, they rather saw the environment as a sphere to simply dominate (Merchant, 1989, p.7-9). Human society as a whole has moved miles away from that view point since then. Now, chances are high that even the regular Joe takes a look at the labels of the products he wants to purchase to make sure they are not harmful to the environment. Customers nowadays not only look for an environmentally safe product but also look into the depths of the production process of the said product as well. Factors such as animal testing, child-labor etc. are strong determinants in many consumer purchase decisions (De Pelsmacker, Driesen, Rayp, 2005, p.363; Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.96, 98). It is very common today that a regular coffee drinker makes sure that his/her coffee has UTZ Certified  [1]  logo, Rainforest Alliance Certified  [2]  logo, FairtradeCertified  [3]  logo, and Eco-friendly labels on the coffee pack or the at the restaurant menu prior to purchase (Gurskis, 2009). Continuation of this behavior can be seen when consumers pay extra for their airfare to off-set their carbon footprint, purchase a low-energy motion sensitive bulb for home usage, or purchase organic or ecological food products (GGAS, 2011; Soil Association, 2010, p.4-9). Needless to say, these shifts in customer trends have created quiet big impacts for the businesses and their policies around the globe. The emergence of the green consumer has made it absolutely essential for a business enterprise to obtain somewhat detailed information about its potential and/or existing customers (DSouza, Taghian, Lamb, Peretiatkos, 2006, p.144; Ryan, 2006 p.1). With more and more consumers paying more attention to the environmental features of the products and willing to pay more for such sustainable products, marketing (in the sense of transparent communication) of sustainable products to the potential and existing consumers has become more important than ever. Sustainable or eco-friendly product offerings can accelerate business growths, enable innovations, and build, rebuild, or establish brands (Ottman, 2006). From 2007 to 2009, the launch of eco-friendly products has increased by more than 500% across the globe (Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.94). Such an influx did not go unnoticed by the executives. Top businesses around the world now understand that being environmentally responsible can pave the way the to both business growth as well as differentiation (Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.96). And sustainability for the business enterprise can be achieved by striking a balance between social, environmental, and commercial goals (Unruh Ettenson, 2010b, p.113). The green trend has made its ground in virtually all product and service categories such as water filters to cleaning products to electronics. Today web hosting service providers such as iPage, fatcow, hostgator etc. have gone green  [4]  . The trend is so strong that even cable service providers are trying to come up with ways to go green (Unruh Ettenson, 2010b, p.114). The Green House Effect or global warming have become household phenomena these days. Either way, a change in global climate could result in severe consequences for planet earths vegetation, lifeforms (including human beings), habitable lands in short, the entire planet would be in danger (Held Soden, 2000, p.441-443). This danger warning was the reason behind the formation of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change and devising a global treaty with the aim of stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system (UNFCCC, 2005, p.5). 1.2 The Emergence of Green Cars According to reports by Federation Belge De lIndustrie De Automobile Et Du Cycle or FEBIAC (2008, cited in De Craecker De Wulf, 2009, p.1), annually about 28 tonnes of CO2 is deposited to the atmosphere of which 37% comes from production of energy and 25% from transportation sector. The report also states that 10% of the annual global Carbon Dioxide or CO2 emissions are caused by private automobiles. So, it is no wonder that the automobile sector is one of the prime concerns for the environmental protection activities. The need for green cars or environmentally friendly vehicles was greater than ever. The automobile industry formally stepped into this Green or environment-friendly product category with Toyotas development and mass-marketing of Prius in 1997 (Lake, 2001). Since then Honda and many other leading automakers have followed suit. The list of auto-makers that already have developed and marketed hybrid (green) automobiles or those who are planning to introduce green automobiles is growing rapidly and even includes sports car giants Porsche (Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.98). As we have discussed above, the need for green products is growing day by day. About 75% of the European Union citizens are willing to purchase environment-friendly products (European Commission, 2008). Cars are no exception. This European attitude can be justified by the Belgian example, where, between 2003-2008, the sales of eco-friendly cars (with CO2 emissions of less than 140 g/km) has doubled while sales of more polluting cars (with CO2 emissions of 210-250 g/km) has decreased by 50% (FEBIAC, 2008, cited in De Craecker De Wulf, 2009, p6). About 75% of the European citizens are willing to purchase environment-friendly products (European Commission, 2008, p.27). This growing consumer need is one of the reasons for green cars emergence. The governments and regulatory agencies have also put new regulations to curtail emissions from the automobiles as transportation sector remains a major contributor of environmental pollution. The EU has implemented a policy of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by the year 2020 (Lindfors Roxland, 2010, p.1). So, the member countries are applying various tactics and regulations to meet this goal. For example, Swedens automobile tax is now calculated based on the amount of carbon emissions by the automobile (Lindfors Roxland, 2010) and therefore creating an indirect push on the sales and development of the greener vehicles. The US government, among others, provides income tax credit of upto $7,500 for purchase of an electric car in or after 2010 (US Department of Energy, 2010). UK, China, and France have government programs that provide incentives to motorists who are buying green cars as well (Vaughan, 2011). Many cities (such as Stockholm, London) are exempting green car owners from pa ying congestion tax, driving tax etc (Lindfors Roxland, 2010). 1.2.1 Automobile Industry Initiative As Unruh and Ettenson (2010b, p.110) points out, a race is on in virtually all business industries to produce green products. The automobile industry is no exception. To illustrate the importance of the emergence of the need for green or eco-friendly cars, Fords Chairman William C Ford said in 2003, The automobile business is about to experience the most profound and revolutionary changes its seen since the Model T first hit the streets. (Cited in Office of Technology Policy, 2003, p. 27). Of course, the Model T was the first ever vehicle to be produced. So, according to the chairman of the largest automobile company in the world, the importance of the eco-friendly innovations for the automobile industry has the same magnitude as the invention of the automobile itself. Association des Constructeurs Europà ©ens dAutomobiles (ACEA) states that sustainability is now the key concern of European automobile industry and in the process manufacturers delivered 50 new CO2 reducing technologies (ACEA, 2009, p.10). The automakers are requesting for a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40 billion loan fund to develop new technologies to improve the green cars (ACEA, 2009, p11). ACEA entered into a voluntary agreement with the European Commission in 1998 to cut down emissions. As a result, in 2008, the total CO2 emissions of the new cars have been reduced by 20% compared to that of 1998 (ACEA, 2009, p.15). The most significant aspect of this agreement is that the ACEA initiated this even before and legislative restrictions on emissions were put in place. The willingness of the automakers towards developing eco-friendly cars can be clearly understood by this. Moreover, an ongoing initiative by the leading automobile manufacturers to produce even greener vehicles is gaining steady footing. Using bio-plastics for various engine and other components by Ford, Toyota, and Mazda yields proof to this (Guzman, 2010, p.20). Understanding the consumer preferences is one of the most fundamental activities for the businesses as this understanding leads to understanding the consumers needs, and business firms exist to satisfy the consumer needs (Bettman, Luce, Payne, 1998, p.187; Solomon, 2009, p.35). The automobile industry is no exception and is very keen to understanding consumers preferences and answering the needs associated with the resulting needs and demands. For example, a consumer demand for a hybrid car with the plug-in electric option (a switch on option that enables the car to be driven only on electric power to travel a short distance) opted Toyota to develop the Prius PHEV that is due out in 2012 (Vasilash, 2010, p.28-29). Nissan has moved another step further and introduced the Nissan Leaf an electricity fueled car specifically designed for city traveling (Vaughan, 2011). 1.3 Problem Discussion As this study intends to examine the consumer preference of green cars, it falls under the category of consumer behavior or to be more precise green consumer behavior. So, the authors looked into prior works into the fields of green marketing, green consumer behavior, green consumer profiling, and most importantly studies related to green cars. The field of green marketing is relatively new as it was developed during the late 80s and the early 90s (Polonsky, 1994, p.1). So, the number of studies in this field is relatively fewer than other branches of marketing. The approach of identifying and analyzing environment conscious consumers and formulating appropriate marketing strategies has only started over the last two decades (Moon, Florkowski, Brà ¼ckner, and Schonhof, 2002). In case of green consumer profiling, as both the green products and the green consumers are relatively new in this market, the initial studies were not always very conclusive. In studies conducted in the 90s, people were found to be conscious about environment and preferred the green products in general but did not intend to buy green products by themselves (Simmons Market Research Bureau 1991; Roberts 1996). So, the conclusion from these studies suggests that early consumers obtained the green attitude but not the behavior. However, subsequent studies show that the situation is different now. Laroche, Bergeron, Barbaro-Forleo (2001) conducted a study in North America to develop a profile of the green consumers. This study focused on consumers attitude, knowledge, values, demographics, and behavior and their influence on consumers willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly products or services. While the study finds that about 80% consumers are willing to pay more for gree n products, they would refuse to buy products (even green products) from the companies that are known to be polluters (Laroche et. al., 2010, p.519). Although the study by Laroche et. al. (2001) provides evidence of the transformation of consumer attitudes into behavior and successfully develops a profile of potential green consumers; it does not do so in a specific product or service category. That is, the developed profile may be useful to know the state of the green consumers, but it fails to provide us with information regarding a customer profile for a specific product. So, a need for green product or service (such as green or environment-friendly cars) specific consumer profiling exists in the academic arena. The studies relating consumers to green cars are even scarcer as the development of first successful green car dates back to only 1997 and, therefore, even fewer studies are conducted concerning green cars. However, the authors have encountered a few green or environment-friendly car related studies. These studies were conducted in Sweden, The Netherlands, and Taiwan. The first examined environmental-friendly car specific study was conducted in the Netherlands by Rijnsoever, Farla, Dijst (2009). They investigated the consumer preferences and information channels used for car purchases of about 1500 car owners using cluster analysis. Although green car specific, this study only covered existing car owners and did not investigate potential buyers and their preferences. The study was also more investigative of the information channels used prior to the purchase of the current vehicles. The next examined green car related study is by Lindfors Roxland (2010) that looks into the impact of Swedish governments green car rebate program on green cars sales performance. The results of the study showed that although the green car sales increased due to the rebate program, the program might be costing too much in terms of benefit (Lindfors Roxland, 2010, p.38). This study was conducted from the regulators point of view and examined the impact of incentives, regulations, and restrictions on the sales performance of the green cars and did not investigate the consumers or their preferences in any way. Jansson, Marell and Nordlund (2009) used a cluster analytical approach concerning green purchase and curtailment behavior on Swedish car owners as well. The study was conducted on Swedish car owners. There are two major components that have been identified in this research to measure green consumers attitude and behavior. The tendency of green purchasing behavior is to obtain green products and green technologies, while, on the other hand, curtailment behavior is to chop down the use of conventional products (Jansson, Marell and Nordlund, 2009). Value, Belief and Norm(VBN) theory has been taken into account to profile consumers. However, the researchers merely focused on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and not on other versions of green cars. In addition, the investigation was conducted only on car owners that show the post purchase behavior of car owners. This study did not investigate the potential owners and their preferences. The last examined green car related literature is an International Association for Management of Technologies (IAMOT) conference paper by Li-Hsing, Yi-Chun, Kun-Shiang (2006) presented in Beijing. This paper investigated the consumer preference of potential consumers of green cars in Taiwan. Conjoint analysis was used to identify the preferred attribute sets of the consumers. This study was conducted as green cars were about to enter the Taiwanese market, and although the results identified only 20% of the respondents as potential buyers (Li-Hsing, Yi-Chun, Kun-Shiang, 2006. p.6-8). Although this paper works to develop a consumer profile of green cars in Taiwan, it is incomplete as it could not take into account the post-purchase behavior (as green cars were to be introduced to the market and therefore no existing owners were there) of the consumers. The authors also acknowledge the inability of the study to be representative of Taiwanese market due to online data collection proces s and therefore the lack of reliability of the responses (Li-Hsing et.al., 2006. p.7). From the reviewed studies, we can conclude that a study that represents the potential owners of green automobiles may be of great importance from both business and academic perspective. Now, with the emergence of the Green Cars, consumers have different options in selecting their automobile of choice. So, an understanding of what factors or attributes of a green car can make a consumer tick or turn away can be of great academic interest. And, in light of the prior literature review, the authors believe that a green car specific study focusing on consumer preferences (including both existing car owners and potential car owners) is important to gain further knowledge in the field of green consumer behavior. And to the best of our knowledge, no other previous studies have used conjoint analysis to examine preferences of both potential and existing consumers on green cars rather they used cluster analysis, cross-sectional surveys, or co-variance models. So we believe a study employing Co njoint analysis would enable us to obtain an indirect mapping of the consumer preferences that would be helpful in answering the identified research gap. 1.4 Research Question The research questions that the authors would like to answer through this study is What are the determining attributes of consumers green car choice? How the defined attributes influence the consumer decision concerning green cars? 1.5 Research purpose The authors intend to study the consumer preferences concerning green car purchase. The authors would identify the determining factors in the green (car) purchase decision process. The study would examine both the existing and the potential green car owners to get the measure of the attitude towards the different attributes of green cars. A secondary purpose would be to partially develop a consumer profile of green car consumers. 1.6 Limitations of the Study This study will be conducted in Sweden and therefore only the Swedish definition of Green car will be taken into account. We understand that doing so, a global generalization may be inappropriate and unachievable. We conducted our study based on respondents from Umeà ¥ and Stockholm only. Although we tried to study the Swedish consumers attitude towards green cars, a study based on only two cities may not be entirely representative of entire Sweden. While our study relates to the marketing field of Green Consumer Behavior, we have only focused on the automobile sector. A study incorporating other aspects of green consumer behavior might have yielded a better understanding. This study will examine the consumer preferences related to the specifications available to existing green cars only. The developments in the pipeline are not considered. So, upon the arrival of such developments, a similar study might be conducted. We understand that the green market is evolving fast. This study aims to examine the current green consumers. Further evolution to the green consumer behavior may yield a need to study many different aspects of the consumer preferences apart from the ones we will examine in this study. 1.7 Disposition ** Text will be added here. CHAPTER-TWO (Work is in progress) 2. Theoretical Framework 2.1 Defining Green Car The exact definition of green cars differs from one country to another. However, we may start by stating the conventional perception of green cars. Any car that pollutes less (in reality, emits less CO2 or other pollutants into the atmosphere) may be considered to be environment friendly or green. There are many versions of green cars available in the market. These include, Alternative Fuel Vehicle or AFV, Patrol-Electricity Hybrid, Diesel-Electricity Hybrid, Bio-Fuel vehicle, and Electric vehicles. The AFVs run on non-fossil fuel such as Ethanol (alcohol), while the Hybrids use traditional fossil fuel along with an electric motor for reduced emission and increased efficiency. Bio-fuel vehicles use fuels produced from renewable organic sources such as Bio-diesel. These vehicles produce less emissions than traditional vehicles. Electric vehicles do not use any fuel at all and run on rechargeable battery-powered engines. These vehicles produce zero or no emissions, however, they have fairly short driving range. 2.1.1 Green Car in Swedish Context Both the authors are currently residing in Sweden and therefore would like to conduct this study on Swedish consumers of green cars. So, the specific Swedish definition of green cars would be appropriate here. According to Svensk fà ¶rfattningssamling (SFS 2007, cited by Lindfors Roxland, 2010, p.4), the Swedish definition of Environment-friendly Vehicles or Green Cars depends on the amount of carbon emissions and/or fuel consumption by a vehicle. For AFVs, if their consumption lies below the energy equivalent of 9.2 liters of gasoline/100 km, or 8.4 liters of diesel/100 km or 9.7 m3 of gas/100 km, they would be considered as green cars. Electric cars are considered green if the consumption lies below 37 kWh/100 km. For traditional or fossil-fuel powered vehicles, if their carbon dioxide emissions lie below 120 g/km, they would be considered to be green. Diesel powered cars must also have a particle emission of less than 5 mg/km meaning that they need to have a particle filter fitted to be green. 2.2 Green Consumer Behavior Green consumer behavior may refer to the consumers attitude towards environment friendly products (Roozen De Pelsmacker, 1998, p.23). From this simple definition we can derive that when the consumer attitude towards purchasing (or not) a product is influenced by the green or environment friendly features of the product, we may call that green behavior. Aside from just purchasing, green behavior also includes performing other environmentally responsible activities as well, such as recycling, working in environmental organizations, taking part in environmental-friendly movements etc. (Haanpà ¤Ãƒ ¤, 2007, p.478). In terms of purchasing green, Young, Hwang, McDonalds, Oates (2010) state that consumers purchase green products for everyday use fairly easily but search for information extensively when it comes to high-technology products. They also say that in case of high-technology products, consumers are willing to pay extra and buy green product if it has credible environmental labelling, such as European Commission or EC Energy Label (Young, Hwang, McDonalds, Oates, 2010, p.23). So, having a reliable certification is an important aspect for green consumers. As mentioned earlier, green consumer behavior is not only concerned with purchase of product(s), it also involves not purchasing as well. As Laroche et.al. (2001) point out, majority of the consumers would not purchase products of polluting companins, Young et.al. (2010) find that brand boycotting over environmental concerns has become a regular occurrence as well (De Pelsmacker et.al., 2005, p.364; Young et.al., 2010, p.23). 2.2.1 Determinants of Green Consumer Behavior The determining factors for green consumer purchases tend to be consumers strong green value, prior purchase experience, available time for information search concerning the product(s), knowledge about product relevant environmental issues, availability of the product, and of course, affordability of the said product (Young et.al., 2010, p.29). So, an absence or weakened presence of any of these factors may adversely effect green consumer behavior. This can be justified by the finding of De Pelsmacker et.al. (2005). In that study, the key causes of not performing green stems from unavailability or limited availability of green products, lack of credibility of green label issuer, and lack of accessibility of green product information (De Pelsmacker et.al., 2005, p.383). 2.2.2 Consumer Preference towards Green Consumer preference is the basic groundwork to measure consumer demand and how they act in terms of buying a product. In economic and cognitive psychology traditions, consumer behavior is assumed as rational and consistent. Consumers act consistently on the basis of their preferences and beliefs (Rokka and Uusitalo, 2008,p.517). This is the subjective experience of an individual through which one can measure product attributes from various bundles of goods. As heightened rise of environmental issues consumers are well aware of their environmental product selection. In terms of auto mobility, studies have been found that consumers are highly aware about negative impacts of auto mobility but can not be referred to the changes in car use and purchase behavior. Although attitude and corresponding behavior are interrelated but in practice they find it hard to translate these values of attitude into behavior (Young et. al. 2010, p.20; Rijnsoever et.al. 2009,p.335). 2.3 Consumer Decision-Making Process Consumer behavior is an intermingle of more than one academic disciplines. It blends with psychology, sociology, economics, business and anthropology (Jansson, 2009, p.17). But the relationship of consumer behavior with marketing is inseparable. However, consumer behavior is a vast area of subject that starts with problem recognition and ends up with post-purchase behavior and evaluation (Jansson, 2009, p.17). In order to understand green consumer behavior, we must start from our understanding of the consumer decision making process. This decision making is the outcome of a consumers behavior (be it positive or negative) towards a certain product or service 2.3.1 The Five Stage Consumer Decision making Process In order to understand green consumer behavior completely, we must start from our understanding of the consumer decision making process. This decision making is the outcome of a consumers behavior (be it positive or negative) towards a certain product or service. A consumer goes through five stages during the decision making process. These stages are, Problem Recognition, Information Search, Evaluation of Alternatives, Product Choice or Purchase Decision, and Outcomes or Purchase Evaluation (Solomon, 2009, page 350-352). Figure:01 Stages of Consumer Decision Making Process Image source: Solomon, 2010, p.351 A consumer, recognizing the need searches for information available for satisfying that specific need. The information search may have various sources, such as friends, family, product commercials, internet search etc. Upon receiving sufficient information, the consumer evaluates or compares available alternative products or services that would meet his/her needs. Upon completion of this comparison process, the consumer then decides on which product or service to obtain, and after completing the purchase, the consumer evaluates the purchased product or service against the original need. If there is a gap between the product performance and the need, the consumer starts over these stages by initiating further information search and so on. 1. Need Recognition This is the initial stage in the consumer decision process. A consumer recognizes or realizes his/her need to solve a problem or fulfill a deficiency at this point. The need could be as simple as need for food, or as complex as need for enjoying a movie in a THX certified surround sound system. 2. Information Search Now the consumer begins acquiring information concerning the solution to his/her problem or need. For low-involvement purchases, this stage tends to be short while for the high-involvement purchases information search is almost always extensive (Jobber, 2004, p79). 3. Evaluation of Alternatives Upon collecting sufficient information, the consumer evaluates and compares among the available alternatives that would serve the need. Usually for the higher costing and/or technical products, this step is very extensive as the consumer usually wants the alternative list to be exhaustive (Jobber, 2004, p.79) 4. Purchase Decision This step is the outcome of the alternative evaluation step. Here the consumer chooses the alternative that would satisfy his/her need. The consumers decision of not selecting any alternatives (as none of the available alternatives may be suitable for the need) is also taken in this stage. Upon deciding, the consumer makes the purchase. 5. Purchase Evaluation This perhaps is the most important step for the business enterprise in the consumer decision making process. Here, the consumer evaluates his/her purchase decision and measures his/her satisfaction. If a high degree of satisfaction is attained, likelihood of repeat purchases would be greater, while dissatisfaction would not only eliminate the chance of a repeat purchase but also result in negative marketing of the product/service by the concerned consumer. This is a very basic and simple approach that we as consumers take almost everyday while selecting products to shop. This process implies that a product or service is a solution to a problem and we respond to that problem by researching, deciding, and finally acquiring the product/service that answers the said problem. The above mentioned five stages are not always equally important. For example, the decision process for purchasing hand soap and a TV would be different. While a consumer might rely on prior experience during a hand soap purchase and get it done in minutes without even comparing between alternatives, s/he might spend days in the information search stage and in comparison stage before finally deciding and making a TV purchase. As we mentioned earlier that automobile purchase falls under the high involvement product purchase category, some further understanding is required aside from this simple five stage process. As the green car is not merely the solution to a problem but is an effort to answer the growing consumer awareness of the environment, we need to examine the product decision process in a different and detailed way. 2.3.2 High Involvement Purchase Decision Making: The Cognitive Consumers The decision making process is comparatively complex in terms of high involvement purchase process. Consumers undertake more extensive pre-purchase information search in high involvement purchase (Foxall, Goldsmith, and Brown, 1998, p.28). The central point of this study is environment friendly cars. So, the framework has drawn on high involvement green car purchase decision process. Consumers seek information willingly in terms of extensive problem solving situation (Peter and Olson, 2005, p.188). According to Foxall, et.al. (1998, p.28-29) there are three major steps of high involvement decision making process: stimulus (receiving environmental stimuli- attentional and perceptual filter), organism (interpretation, formation and evaluation), and response (developing, acting, re-evaluating, storing). The S-[O]-R psychology is based on cognitive science. The three steps decision process can be simplified as inputs, central processing and outputs. The process primarily generated from social, business, cultural, political and economic environment (Foxall, et. al. 1998, p.29). Figure: 02 Consumer Choice Process Model Source: Adapted from Foxall, Goldsmith, and Brown, 1998,p.29 According to, Rijnsoever, Farla, and Dijst (2009, p. 335) consumers form an attitude before they get involved into purchasing a new car that lead them towards the probability of possessing a new car. 2.3.3 Multi-Attribute Attitude Model A car is a product that can be seen as a bundle of attributes. So, we need to consider choice behaviors as an automobile purchase involves a choice among two or more options (Ajzen, 2008, p.526). The Multi-At

Writing Cannot be Altered by Technology :: Teaching Writing Education Essays

Writing Cannot be Altered by Technology The term â€Å"cyberculture† is derived from the word â€Å"cyberspace†. William Gibson’s science novel â€Å" Neuromancer† predicted a world that man and machine merge to become a cyborg (Tribble and Trubek: 521). This prediction became reality during the end of study of the 1990s when cyberculture began to flourish. This culture exists within several cultures here on earth. Some may ask, what is cyberculture? Cyberculture studies cover the examination of the subject and the forming communities within the realms of those networked spaces that are being created through technological devices and amplifications (Silver). In this essay I will examine how technological advancements affect our fundamental habits of writing and reading. Our â€Å"traditional† writing was not traditional in ancient times. The birth of writing itself was a new technology. This is similar to the birth of the computers years ago. The writing process is taught in grade school. It begins with brainstorming, writing a rough draft, proofreading and completing a final draft. This process is often obsolete with modern writing. Traditionally a writer uses a writing utensil and paper to create their writings. Modern technology allows us to type as we write. This occurs when a writer begins to type their thoughts as they think. I personally design a paper structure similar to the traditional format to assist in my paper creation prior to typing; however, some people sit at the computer and type as the think. Some may argue eliminating the traditional process damages the fundamentals of writing. However, I feel we brainstorm in a different way with modern writing. As the person types, he/she deletes and rearranges senten ces to make the paper complete. The writer is able to use spell check or proof read from a printed copy. The fundamentals are not tarnished because the purpose of traditional process applies to the modern process as well. I feel we should learn the traditional format of writing in addition to using the advancements of technology. "Internet is another invention in a line of modern technologies that undermine traditional notions of civil society that require unity and shun multiplicity while giving impressions that they in fact re-create such a society" We should not rely solely on technology because we must know how to function if the technology fails.

Constitution Timeline Essay

Our founding Fathers had a vision in mind when writing the Constitution to ensure all citizens of the United States were treated equally and fairly. The Constitution was also to place rules and guidelines in place so that not one person or government politician would have full control. It was to be a country for the citizens’ where they have a voice in what takes place and in the way it is managed. There were many items that influenced the Constitution and had a significance that contributed to it. I’ll start with the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was an English Charter that was issued in 1215. Its purpose was to limit government authority. It is considered one of the most important documents in the establishment of democracy; its influence is clearly seen in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. (GCU, 2012) The Magna Carta also represented several ideas, one in which is the significant innocent until proven guilty. Others include; right of individuals to know the charges filed against them, right to judgment by peers before imprisonment, and right to be represented by an attorney. The Magna Carta is evident in the Constitution by the limiting of government authority. It was the founding Fathers purpose to not let any one person or political group have complete control. But, to include the citizens in the say of how things worked and were ran. Second, is the Mayflower Compact which was issued in 1620. It was the first governing document that was passed because settlers agreed to abide by the rules of the government. It consisted of two essential elements; it reveals the promise that America, as it develops, is to be built upon Christian principles and a government of law, not men. It enjoins upon the government to enact constitutionally equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most just and convenient for the general good of the people. (Digest, 1951) The Mayflower Compact came about by the settlers coming over on the Mayflower, when they realized that the earlier settlers had failed when it came to guiding their developments. The settlers wanted to be successful in their developments and be fair to everyone; by treating everyone equally. Its contribution to the Constitution is the Christian faith and the equality of all people. Without this, we may be treated differently by the amount of money we make or even because of our race. This ensured everyone the same opportunities in our country and rules to live by. Third, is the Declaration of Independence. It was passed in 1776 adapting resolutions of endorsing independence. It all started from the French and Indian War, the British Parliament wanted the colonists to pay for the war. The colonists however believed that they should not have to pay taxes in which they did not believe in. The colonists wanted to voice their concerns but were denied by the British Parliament. From this, came the revolutionary cry No Taxation without Representation. This is when a committee of 5 was formed and the Declaration was formed. It declared all colonies free from the British Parliament and declared all colonies to be free and independent states. The most radical idea advanced by the American Revolutionaries was the proposition set forth in the Declaration of Independence that â€Å"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain Unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† (Mintz, 2012) Its contribution to the Constitution is the free and independent states along with the separation from British Parliament. Without this, we probably would not have our 50 different states. We would more than likely still be running and operating with the British Parliament as one big nation. This allowed colonists to be individualized, independent, and free to set their own government rules and regulations. Fourth, is the Articles of Confederation. It was signed in 1777 and was the first governing document of the newly formed nation. This turned the colonies into a confederation. The articles explained individual states rights; defined the rights of the central government; and declared the Articles could only be changed with ratification of all state legislatures. (GCU, 2012) It also specifies how the national government is to operate. Under the Articles the states were more powerful than the central government, which consisted only of a Congress. Each state had one vote in Congress, with that vote determined by a delegation of from two to seven representatives. Though the Congress had the authority to regulate foreign affairs, wage war, and maintain the postal system, it had no power to levy and collect taxes or regulate interstate commerce. (West 2005) The contribution to the Constitution is defining the rules and regulations of the government. Without rules and regulations, many states would have been run not equal or even without any rules. This would cause many states to be a mess and not have regulation. These articles played a huge part in how our government runs today by giving different members of Congress votes and not having a certain group where they can run everything. Last, is the Federalist Papers. These were papers written between 1787 and 1788 arguing for the ratification of the Constitution that was published in newspapers. There were approximately 85 papers written by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. All three of the authors drew from their extensive experience in national politics and the military and diplomatic struggle for independence. Their purpose was to clarify and explain the provisions of the Constitution, expounding its benefits over the existing system of government under the articles of confederation. (West, 2005) There were 3 influential articles that included: strong republic and addresses how to guard against factions, establishes separation of powers and introduces the idea of checks and balances, and expressed opposition to what eventually became the Bill of Rights. The contribution to the Constitution is probably the most influential from these papers. All of them were influential and resulted in the 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution. There were many factors that played a major role in the development of our nations Constitution. These listed above were only a few but many were the most influential. I personally am thankful to live in a country that has rules and guidelines and allows us as citizens to be a part of the voting process. It is our right to vote and have a say in how we think our money should spent or how things are ran in our state. Regardless of which law passes or fails, we are all treated equally in the eyes of the law and are all here because our founding Fathers took the time out to create a document that laid out guidelines for us and many generations to come to live by. In the words of Washington, â€Å"Let us Raise to the standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.† (Digest, 1951) REFERENCES Grand Canyon University. (2012). Retrieved November 29, 2012, from POS 301 Lecture 1 Notes: www.gcu.edu THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT. (1951). Congressional Digest, 30(6/7), 171-172. Mintz, D. S. (2012). Digital History. Retrieved November 29, 2012 , from Declaration of Independence: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=149 â€Å"Articles of Confederation.† West’s Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Retrieved November 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437704858.html â€Å"Federalist Papers.† West’s Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Retrieved November 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437701784.html

Mahogany Seed as a Termiticide to Kill Termites

Mahogany used in multistory systems in the Philippines, boat and ship building and patternmaking. Logs are used for the manufacture of veneers and for paneling. It is also used as shade for coffee and cacao. Mahogany is regarded as the worlds finest timber for high-class furniture and cabinetwork. Its popularity is especially due to its attractive appearance in combination with ease of working,excellent finishing qualities and dimensional stability. Mahogany is also often used for interior trim suchas paneling, doors and decorative borders.It is used for boat building, often as a decorative wood for luxury yatch and ocean liners, although it is also used when a medium-weight timber with other goodqualities is required. It is sometimes applied make it particularly suitable for precision woodwork suchas models and patterns, instrument cases, clocks, printer's block and parts of musical instruments; for these purposes, uniform straight-grained material is used. Other minor uses include burial caskets, woodcarvings, novelties, toys and turnery.BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYMahogany a large tropical tree with a symmetrical appearance, best-known for its valuableheartwood. The tree is also appreciated as a beautiful and useful street tree. A fast-growing, graceful,straight-trunked, semi-deciduous tree growing to 30-70ft. Most trees, particularly planted street treesgrow to 30-40ft. It looses its leaves just as new leafs sprout, so while deciduous, the tree is not withoutleaves for long. Tiny flowers are followed by 4-5†³, woody fruits that burst open to expel the seeds. Mahogany is a valuable hardwood and this tree was once extensively harvested for its wood.A relatedtree, S. macrophylla, now provides most commercial mahogany. The tree also makes an excellent streettree specimen in warmer climates as is popular for this purpose. Miami, Florida has numerousmahogany trees planted throughout the city for this purpose. The termites are a group of eusocial insects usually c lassified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Along with ants and some bees and wasps which are all placedin the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among gender lines, produce overlappinggenerations and take care of young collectively.Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generallyin the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species(about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause seriousstructural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests. Termites are major detritivores, particularlyin the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and other plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. Their role in bioturbation on the Khorat Plateau is under investigation.SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDYNowadays, people usually choose new innovations (features) to kill termites or any other pests. Pesticides are usually used to kill a particular target pest, many will also kill or harm species that thefarmer or other user is not targeting. For example, pesticides applied to crops might be washed intostreams or lakes and harm fish, beneficial insects, birds, or even find their way into drinking water sources. With this regard topic it includes improvement in human quality of life and lower food costs. Contributed significantly to improving the quality of life and safeguarding the environment.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMIt should be only used and tested in termites.B. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKHYPOTHESISMahoganyseed extract Used a stermiticide tokill termitesOBSERVATORY;On Savanna, Termites Are a Force for Good By SINDYA N. BHANOOPublished: June 1, 2010The African savanna has a cornucopia of majestic creatures — lions, elephants and giraffes amongthem. But behind the scenes, it is the tiny termite that fuels much of this diversity, a new study reports. Researchers studying termites in Kenya's central highlands found that the abundance of flora andfauna is markedly higher atop termite mounds.†We noticed these circular green patches,† said Todd Palmer, a co-author of the study and a professorof biology at the University of Florida. †They had a lot of vegetation and plant material on top of them,and the grass was greener than in other areas. †The patches were 30 feet in diameter and spaced several hundred feet apart. Dr. Palmer and his colleagues did some digging, and underneath each patch they found millions of termites in subterranean mounds. Quantitatively, they found that plants grow about 60 percent largeron the patches compared with other areas.The nitrogen content of the plants on the mound is about20 percent higher, and trees on mounds bear 120 percent more fruit. Animal populations also droppedoff significantly the farther they were located from a patch. Termite mounds are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, and termites also help loosen soilto p romote water absorption, Dr. Palmer said. Other animals visit the lush patches to eat and end updefecating and urinating there, adding their own nutrients and triggering more plant growth. In the human world, termites are seen as pests for their remarkable ability to eat into dead wood.Butin the animal kingdom, Dr. Palmer said, this is what makes them so desirable. †They are basically consuming dead wood and plant materials,† he said. †In their absence, that would just lie there and there would be no way to break down the organic material and convert it to nitrogenand phosphorus. †How Termites Live on a Diet of Wood By NNIICCHHOOLLAASSWWAADDEE Published: November 14, 2008 If only wood could be converted tobbiioof f uueellss, there would be no need to wait a million years for thetrees to be buried and become oil. Wood isindeed convertible to useful chemicals, because termitesdo it every day, causing $1 billion of damage every year in the United States. But to live on a diet of wood is challenging, not least because wood contains so little nitrogen. So how do termites do it? Visual ScienceScientists rely on graphics and other visuals to present their findings to the world. This feature takesraw graphics from various scientific journals and unpacks the stories they tell. The trick lies in a cunning triple symbiosis, a team of Japanese scientists report in Fridays issue of Science.In the termites gut lives an amoeba-like microbe called a protist, and inside each protist livesome 10,000 members of an obscure bacterium. The microbes in the termites gut are very hard to cultivate outside their termite host and so cannot bestudied in the lab. The Japanese scientists, led by Yuichi Hongoh and Moriya Ohkuma at the RIKENAdvanced Science Institute in Saitama, have cut through this problem. They extracted the protistsbacteria directly from a termites gut, collected enough to analyze their DNA, and then decoded the1,114,206 units of DNA in the bacter iums genome. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007Entomologists discover cellulase genes in termite gutS As scientists search for alternatives to fossil fuel, producing chemical energy from wood fiber has become a big challenge. Several research organisations and biotech companies are trying to discover enzymes that break down cellulose into glucose in an efficient way (earlier post). However, termites have been working this alchemy for millions of years. A University of Florida (UF) study published last month in the journal Gene sheds new light on the mysterious and complex process that enables the insects to eat the cellulose, the main structural component of plant cells.For people and most animals, cellulose is indigestible, but termites break it down easily into glucose, a form of sugar most organisms need. These sugars can be fermented into bio-products, such as ethanol or bioplastics. The study identifies four genes that produce enzymes responsible for taking cellulose molecules apart in a process called cellulase (picture, click to enlarge) insight that could lead to breakthroughs in energy production and pest control, said Michael Scharf, an assistant research scientist with UF’s entomology department and a co-author of the paper.The scientists looked at the dominant termite species in the U. S. but they are sure they haven't identified all the genes involved in producing these enzymes yet. Only one of the genes actually belongs to the insect researchers studied, the eastern subterranean termite. The other three belong to microscopic organisms known as symbionts that live inside the termite’s digestive system: â€Å"The termites provide the symbionts with a home, and the symbionts pay the rent by producing enzymes,† says Sharf. Altogether, there may be hundreds of cellulose-digesting enzymes produced by the termites and their tiny tenants, Scharf said.One potential payoff from the research is that scientists may be able to transfer specific enzyme-producing genes into bacteria, then culture them to produce large quantities of enzymes to make ethanol from wood scraps and other fibrous materials, he said. Known as cellulosic ethanol, this fuel has gained worldwide attention because it doesn’t require edible material such as corn, used in conventional ethanol production. The interaction of multiple genes makes cellulose digestion an efficient process in termites, but scientists want to pin down enzyme combinations that will digest cellulose affordably, Scharf said.Many genes remain undiscovered, and UF researchers have applied for funding to support a massive effort to identify all cellulose-digesting genes in the eastern subterranean termite and its common symbionts. Greater genetic knowledge could also aid in termite control, an important issue in Florida, which accounts for about one-third of control efforts in the United States, said Phil Koehler, a UF entomology professor and co-author of the paper. By identi fying enzymes most crucial to termite digestion, scientists may be able to kill the insects by shutting down selected genes, he said.Termite-control strategies, such as bait systems or treated lumber, would be environmentally friendly because they would have no effect on organisms that don’t eat cellulose, he said. â€Å"Anything we do with this kind of work will reduce the need for conventional pesticides,† Koehler said. Development of enzyme-blocking products could happen but will require attention to termite behavior, said Brian Forschler, an entomology professor at the University of Georgia in Athens. Recent research shows that termites, which live in colonies that can number 1 million, often consume partially digested material excreted by their compatriots, he said.So it would be important that bait products not disrupt termites’ feeding behavior. If it did, termites might avoid an enzyme-stopping bait and instead share more partially digested food. â€Å" You just have to remember that you’re dealing with an entire termite colony,† Forschler said. â€Å"This research holds a great deal of promise. † Further termite genetics research could reveal effective methods of disrupting termite social behavior, perhaps in ways that cause the insects to die, said Faith Oi, an assistant extension scientist with UF’s entomology and nematology department.â€Å"The model for exploiting the termite’s social behavior for control is not new,† said Oi, another co-author of the paper. â€Å"In terms of pest control, we can look to this area of science enhancing existing methods. † Bed Bug Herbal Remedies Work Well With Traps July 15, 2013 THE NEEM TREE (Azadirachta indica), a medicinal mahogany tree (Meliaceae) native to arid broadleaf and scrub forests in Asia (e. g. India), has been used for over 4,000 years in Vedic medicine and has a heavy, durable wood useful for furniture and buildings because it is resistant to termites and fungi.Nonetheless, despite US EPA registration as a pesticide for crop and home use and a long legacy of neem seed oil use for cosmetics, shampoos, toothpastes and medicines in India, Ohio State University researcher Susan Jones could not find any households near her Columbus, Ohio, home willing to try neem in her bed bug control experiments. â€Å"We had no study takers because of the regulatory requirements,† which scared off people, Jones told the Entomological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting.â€Å"You have to read page after page to residents about toxicity without being able to talk about the toxicity of alternative products† not as safe as neem. In October 2012, an empty house with bed bugs became available for research when its occupant opted to escape a bad bed bug infestation by leaving the infested home; and inadvertently transferred the infestation to their new home. Jones monitored the empty house by placing in each room fo ur (4)Verifi(TM) CO2 (carbon dioxide) traps and four (4) Climbup(R) Interceptor traps. Visual inspections revealed few bed bugs.On October 24, 2012, prior to neem treatments, 38 bed bugs were captured in Climbup(R) traps, indicating bed bug infestations only in the master bedroom and bed of the empty house. Eight Verifi(TM) traps captured 48 bed bugs in the dining room, guest room and master bedroom. As part of an IPM (integrated pest management) approach using multiple treatment tools: Electrical sockets were treated with MotherEarth(R) D diatomaceous earth; 3. 67 gal (13. 9 l) at a rate of 1 gal/250 ft2 (3. 9 l/23 m2). Gorilla Tape(R) was used to seal around the doors and exclude bed bug movement from other rooms.The neem seed oil product, Cirkil (TM) RTU, was sprayed in various places, including on books, backs of picture frames and cardboard boxes. Vials of the insecticide-susceptible Harlan bed bug strain were placed around the house for on-site neem seed oil vapor toxicity ass ays. Two days after spraying, bed bug mortality from neem seed oil vapors was highest in confined spaces; with 48% mortality in vials placed between the mattress and box spring, versus 28% mortality in open spaces. On Nov. 6, two weeks post-treatment, 123 dead bed bugs were vacuumed up and live bed bugs were detected in a second bedroom.Bed bug numbers were low because the monitoring traps were doing double duty, also providing population suppression by removing many bed bugs. Herbal oils can also be combined with heat chambers at 50 C (122 F) or carbon dioxide (CO2) fumigation chambers to combat bed bugs. However, heat chambers are expensive, and CO2 fumigation with dry ice can pose handling difficulties and room air circulation issues, Dong-Hwan Choe of the University of California, Riverside, told the Entomological Society of America (ESA).Herbal essential oils are useful against head lice, and in Choe’s native Korea clove oil from from the leaves and flower buds of clove plants (Syzygium aromaticum) is used in aromatherapy and as a medicine. Clove oil is rich in GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) compounds such as eugenol, beta-caryophyllene and methyl salicylate (sometimes called wintergreen oil), which are useful as vapors in control of insects and microbes. In dentistry, clove oil (eugenol) is widely used as an antiseptic and pain reliever.Clove essential oils work faster in closed spaces or fumigation chambers (e. g. vials, Mason jars) than in open spaces. Essential oils are even slower to kill bed bugs when orally ingested. In experiments at varied temperatures, Choe placed 10 bed bugs in plastic vials with mesh tops. The vials were placed inside 900 ml (1. 9 pint) Mason jars; filter paper treated with essential oils was placed on the underside of the Mason jar tops. Herbal essential oils worked faster at higher temperatures.For example, methyl salicylate fumigant vapors provided 100% bed bug mortality in 30 hours at 26 C (79 F); 10 hours at 3 5 C (95 F); and 8 hours at 40 C (104 F). Eugenol vapors produced similar results; there were no synergistic or additive effects from combining eugenol and methyl salicylate. Choe told the ESA that his future trials will include: botanical oil granules; exposing bed bug-infested items to essential oil vapors; and checking for sublethal essential oil effects on parameters such as female bed bug reproduction.Narinderpal Singh of Rutgers placed bed bugs on cotton fabric squares treated (half left untreated) with synthetic pesticide and herbal essential oil products: 1) Temprid(TM) SC, a mixture of imidacloprid and cyfluthrin (neonicotinoid and pyrethroid insecticides); 2) Ecoraider(TM) (Reneotech, North Bergen, NJ) contains FDA GRAS ingredients labeled as â€Å"made from extracts of multiple traditional herbs that have been used in Asia for hundreds of years for therapy and to repel insects;† 3) Demand(R) CS, which contains lambda-cyhalothrin (a pyrethroid insecticide); 4) Bed Bu g Patrol(R) (Nature’s Innovation, Buford, FL), a mixture with the active ingredients listed as clove oil, peppermint oil and sodium lauryl sulfate. && Temprid(TM) SC and Demand(R) CS proved best on the cotton fabric test. In arena bioassays with Climbup(R)Interceptor traps, none of the four insecticides were repellent to bed bugs (i. e. repellency was less than 30%). Ecoraider(TM) was equal to Temprid(TM) SC and Demand(R) CS against the tough to kill bed bug eggs. Singh concluded that field tests of Ecoraider(TM) as a biopesticide were warranted.Changlu Wang of Rutgers told the ESA that travelers might be protected from bed bug bites and bring home fewer bed bugs if protected by essential oil repellents, as well as by more traditional mosquito and tick repellents like DEET, permethrin and picaridin. Repellents are more convenient and less expensive than non-chemical alternatives such as sleeping under bed bug tents and bandaging yourself in a protective suit. Isolongifolenone , an odorless sesquiterpene found in the South American Tauroniro tree (Humiria balsamifera), is among the botanicals being studied, as it can also be synthesized from turpentine oil and is as effective as DEET against mosquito and tick species.Bed bug arena tests involve putting a band of repellent around a table leg, with a Climbup(R)Interceptor trap below. If the bed bug falls into the trap, it is deemed to have been repelled from the surface above. In actual practice, the bed bug climbs up the surface and goes horizontal onto the treated surface and drops or falls off if the surface is repellent. Isolongifolenone starts losing its repellency after 3 hours; 5%-10% DEET works for about 9 hours. In arena tests with host cues, 25% DEET keeps surfaces repellent to bed bugs for 2 weeks. But isolongifolenone is considered safer, and Wang is testing higher rates in hopes of gettting a full day’s protection. How to Kill Termites: Treatment Options for HomeownersDon’t let th eir size fool you, termites are far from harmless. These small white insects feed on untreated wood piles around homes and can even start up a colony within the structure of your home–where wood is abundant. When termites find their way into homes, they can cause serious structural damage that requires costly repairs. If you’re wondering how to kill termites, contacting a professional to address the problem is the best treatment method you can choose to maintain the integrity of your home. There are different methods you can use to kill termites around your home, but remember that your safest option is to contact a professional to treat your home and property.If you’re waiting for your exterminator to come and inspect your home and you want to be proactive, there are a couple of different treatment options you can try. 1. Boric acid- This white powder is commonly used to kill roaches, but it works with termites as well. You can sprinkle it around the foundation of your home to keep termites from coming in. You’ll need to repeat this treatment every few days for at least two weeks before you notice a decline in the number of termites in your home. 2. Bait blocks-You can also place bait blocks around your home. You can find these in most grocery or hardware stores. These traps contain wood that’s been treated with pesticide.Once the termites find these traps, they’ll carry the poisoned wood back to the queen. Once the queen dies, the termites will be unable to reproduce. 3. Termiticide- If you know the location of the infestation, you can spray the area with a non-repellant termiticide, or you can sprinkle the area with Bio-Blast. Termites that come into contact with pest control products will infect other termites until that infection reaches the queen. However, it may take up to three months before your termite problem is under control. Home treatments can be less expensive than hiring a professional exterminator, but if you don’t treat the problem properly, termite damage can be costly.Your safest option is to contact a professional if you have any suspicion that termites are present. Contacting a professional to treat your termite problem as soon as possible can help you prevent much of this damage and save you from costly repairs. If you have a termite problem, contact one of the pest control experts at Landscaper. org to take care of the problem before it becomes worse. Research Article Termiticidal Activity of Parkia biglobosa (Jacq) Benth Seed Extracts on the Termite Coptotermes intermediusSilvestri (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Bolarinwa Olugbemi Division of Termite Control and Ecology, Termite Research Laboratory, P. M.B. 656, Akure 340001, Nigeria Received 5 October 2011; Revised 14 November 2011; Accepted 28 November 2011 Academic Editor: Arthur G. Appel Copyright  © 2012 Bolarinwa Olugbemi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract The chemical and mineral composition of raw and boiled seeds of the African locust bean, Parkia biglobosa (Jacq) Benth, was determined while the termiticidal action of the aqueous, alcoholic, and acetone extracts of the bean seeds were investigated.Variations in the proximate and mineral composition of the raw and boiled seeds were obtained while heavy minerals such as cadmium, cobalt, lead, nickel, and copper had been leached out of the seed during the process of boiling. Extracts from the raw seeds exhibited varying degree of termiticidal activity, while extracts from the boiled seed had no effect on the workers of Coptotermes intermedius Silvestri. Alcoholic extracts were more active than the aqueous and acetone extracts. Termites die within 30?min, 40?min, and 110?min when exposed to concentration of 4?g?mL?1 treatments of alcoholic, aqueous, and acetone extracts, respectively. 1. Introduction Termites cause the most serious damage of all wood-feeding insects.In addition to timber and wood products, they attack growing trees, leather, rubber, and wool as well as agricultural crops [1]. Significant damage is caused by termites to man-made fabrics, polythene, plastics, metal foils, books, furniture, wooden telephone poles, wooden railway sweepers, and insulators of electric cables [2]. Damage caused by termites to wooden structures in the United States of America is estimated to be over 3 billion Dollars annually, with subterranean termites accounting for at least 80% of these damages [3]. Costs attributable to Coptotermes formosanus in the Hawaiian Islands alone are greater than 60 million Dollars per annum [4].Termites are so destructive in that they derive their nutrition from wood and other cellulotic materials. In Africa and elsewhere in the developing countries, there is hardly any data on either the quantum of damage d one by termites to agricultural crops, construction timbers, paper, and paper products, or the cost of control or repairing the damage done by these insect pests. The damage done by various termite species in Nigeria [2] ranged from scavenging on tree barks and dead branches, to eating out grooves in the roots and stems of plants. Past research efforts had focused more on chemical methods of control, with an obvious lack of attention placed on understanding the behavior and history of these termites.In view of mounting concerns over the side effect caused by the use of these toxic and environmentally unfriendly chemicals, direction of research is now focusing on alternative nontoxic, biological, and environmentally friendly methods of control. These methods include baiting systems, use of asphyxiant gases, application of extreme temperatures, barriers of various types, as well as biological control organisms [3, 5]. Extractives with insecticidal properties from naturally resistant w ood and plant species in form of phenolic, terpenoid, and flavonoid compounds, show great promise for prevention of termite attack [6–9]. Some of these substances may also act as feeding deterrent [10–12].The termite Coptotermes formosanus was found to be attracted and preferentially feed upon the amino acids, glutamic and aspartic acids [13]. These could be used to improve the effectiveness of baiting systems. Many of the chemicals causing attraction and avoidance in several tree species are polar molecules [14]. Investigation has shown that steaming of the heartwood of the Japanese larch, degraded or removed the chemicals responsible for the inhibition of termite attack [15]. A number of tree species such as the Alaska cedar, redwood, and teak [16] are resistant to termite attack. Neem was found to be a strong repellent to Coptotermes formosanus and was suggested as a barrier tree to protect more vulnerable plants [17].The use of high levels of carbon dioxide, for ex tended period of time has been successfully used to control termites in contained spaces [4]. The application of heated air to kill termites has shown to be successful in laboratory bioassays [18]. Liquid nitrogen has also been shown to be effective in eliminating termites in the laboratory [3]. These temperature-based control methods are showing great promise, but need more field studies on their effectiveness in natural settings. In other studies [19] Inundation with water was shown to cause a decline in foraging worker population. This could indicate possible applications to control, for example, the controlled flooding of the territories of specific termite colonies to reduce damage by foragers.Barriers to foraging termites that are being tested include sand, crushed granite, glass splinters, and metal shields. These methods have had mixed successes, thereby pointing to the need for more research in this area [3]. The African locust bean, Parkia biglobosa (Jacq) Benth, is a pere nnial leguminous tree, found growing wildly in forested and savanna belts in Nigeria. Fermented Parkia seeds are locally used in traditional soup seasoning, medicinal preparations and food additives [20]. In addition, boiled water obtained during fermentation process of P. biglobosa seeds is used in controlling termite infestation at the local level. In spite of this practice, few reports exist on the termiticidal properties of aqueous solution of P. biglobosa seeds.

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Amy: Who said animals can’t talk? This gorilla can. Amy is a female gorilla who is able to speak sign language. She was very humanlike, you could see that through her communication with Peter and they way she acted when with other humans. Karen Ross: She is a smart young woman that works for ERTS (Earth Resources Technology Services). She was the supervisor for the ERTS Congo Project, she knew about the latest technology and how to work it. Peter Elliot: A young male doctor that is in love with gorillas. He taught Amy sign language so she could possibly teach other gorillas. He wanted the best for the gorilla instead of the best for himself (he could of sold the gorilla for a lot of money), so he tried to take her to her home (in the Congo). A group of scientists are taking a journey into the Congo in search of black diamonds, in the lost city of Zinj. While they are communicating with co-workers from ERTS back in the U.S. via a satellite camera, the whole team is attacked and killed by some unknown beings. Earth Resources Technology Services (ERTS) sent out a second team to find the others. Due to the limited opportunities to travel within Africa Karen (the leader of the ERTS team) and Peter Elliot cross paths. Peter had scheduled a trip to take Amy (the talking gorilla) back home to the Congo, the Congo also happened to be the location ERTS’s first expedition team was last seen. Karen’s wealthy corporate sponsored team was only allowed to tag along on this trip because Peter’s team did not have enough money to fund the trip. Both teams happened to be traveling to the same place but for different reasons. Once they reached Zinj, they found that it sat on the top of a great volcano. This was not the only discovery they made however, they also found out what had killed the ERTS’s first team. The killers had been a previously unknown breed of gray haired gorillas. The first night there this new team wa... Free Essays on Congo Free Essays on Congo Amy: Who said animals can’t talk? This gorilla can. Amy is a female gorilla who is able to speak sign language. She was very humanlike, you could see that through her communication with Peter and they way she acted when with other humans. Karen Ross: She is a smart young woman that works for ERTS (Earth Resources Technology Services). She was the supervisor for the ERTS Congo Project, she knew about the latest technology and how to work it. Peter Elliot: A young male doctor that is in love with gorillas. He taught Amy sign language so she could possibly teach other gorillas. He wanted the best for the gorilla instead of the best for himself (he could of sold the gorilla for a lot of money), so he tried to take her to her home (in the Congo). A group of scientists are taking a journey into the Congo in search of black diamonds, in the lost city of Zinj. While they are communicating with co-workers from ERTS back in the U.S. via a satellite camera, the whole team is attacked and killed by some unknown beings. Earth Resources Technology Services (ERTS) sent out a second team to find the others. Due to the limited opportunities to travel within Africa Karen (the leader of the ERTS team) and Peter Elliot cross paths. Peter had scheduled a trip to take Amy (the talking gorilla) back home to the Congo, the Congo also happened to be the location ERTS’s first expedition team was last seen. Karen’s wealthy corporate sponsored team was only allowed to tag along on this trip because Peter’s team did not have enough money to fund the trip. Both teams happened to be traveling to the same place but for different reasons. Once they reached Zinj, they found that it sat on the top of a great volcano. This was not the only discovery they made however, they also found out what had killed the ERTS’s first team. The killers had been a previously unknown breed of gray haired gorillas. The first night there this new team wa...