The History of Life on Earth

The History of Life on Earth The Carboniferous Period is a geologic time period that took place between 360 to 286 million years ago. The Carboniferous Period is named after the rich coal deposits that are present in rock layers from this time period. The Age of Amphibians The Carboniferous Period is also known as the Age of Amphibians. It is the fifth of six geologic periods that together make up the Paleozoic Era. The Carboniferous Period is preceded by the Devonian Period and followed by the Permian Period. The climate of the Carboniferous Period was quite uniform (there were no distinct seasons) and it was more humid and tropical than our present-day climate. The plant life of the Carboniferous Period resembled modern tropical plants. The Carboniferous Period was a time when the first of many animal groups evolved: the first true bony fishes, the first sharks, the first amphibians, and the first amniotes. The appearance of the amniotes is evolutionarily significant because of the amniotic egg, the defining characteristic of amniotes, enabled the ancestors of modern reptiles, birds, and mammals to reproduce on land and colonize terrestrial habitats that were previously uninhabited by vertebrates.   Mountain Building The Carboniferous Period was a time of mountain building when the collision of the Laurussian and Gondwanaland land masses formed the supercontinent Pangea. This collision resulted in the uplifting of mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains, the Hercynian Mountains, and the Ural Mountains. During the Carboniferous Period, the vast oceans that covered the earth often flooded the continents, creating warm, shallow seas. It was during this time that the armored fish that had been abundant in the Devonian Period became extinct and were replaced by more modern fishes. As the Carboniferous Period progressed, the uplifting of landmasses resulted in an increase in erosion and the building of floodplains and river deltas. The increased freshwater habitat meant that some marine organisms such as corals and crinoids died out. New species that were adapted to the reduced salinity of these waters evolved, such as freshwater clams, gastropods, sharks, and bony fish. Vast Swamp Forests Freshwater wetlands increased and formed vast swamp forests. Fossil remains show that air-breathing insects, arachnids, and myriapods were present during the Late Carboniferous. The seas were dominated by sharks and their relatives and it was during this period that sharks underwent much diversification. Arid Environments   Land snails first appeared and dragonflies and mayflies diversified. As the land habitats dried, animals evolved ways of adapting to the arid environments. The amniotic egg enabled early tetrapods to break free of the bonds to aquatic habitats for reproduction. The earliest known amniote is Hylonomus, a lizard-like creature with a strong jaw and slender limbs. Early tetrapods diversified significantly during the Carboniferous Period. These included the temnospondyls and the anthracosaurs. Finally, the first diapsids and synapsids evolved during the Carboniferous. By the middle the Carboniferous Period, tetrapods were common and quite diverse. The varied in size (some measuring up to 20 feet in length). As the climate grew cooler and drier, the evolution of amphibians slowed and the appearance of amniotes lead to a new evolutionary path.

Quiz on Plant Biotechnology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quiz on Plant Biotechnology - Assignment Example In the gene gun (biolistics) method for plant transformation, the DNA is coated specifically on gold particles, so that the gold particles can impact on the Petri-dish, to introduce an interruption of the gel and the callus, so that they are eventually separated from the main DNA components that are within the DNA particle suspension. This disruption is then followed by the migration of the DNA into a plant chromosome derived from the leave, and gets integrated to establish newly genetically modified plant cells, which are then incubated at the right cell growth chambers, to allow the transgenic cells to grow (Clark, n.p.). A reporter gene is the gene that is used to replace the coding region of a DNA sequence, so that it can prevent the normal protein component that is normally fixed in that spot within the gene sequence from attaching at the spot (Plant transformation methods, n.p.). This prevention creates an opportunity for the intended gene to take the spot of the original prote in that needs to be replaced in the gene sequence, eventually producing a new sequence that has the reporter gene as part of the new sequence. ... he ease of introducing a foreign DNA component into an existing plant cell, without the complexity of the process to be followed, which would then introduce more errors, and hinder the successful completion of the process (Clark, n.p.). Secondly, the delivery system should be efficient, meaning that it should consume the least time possible to complete the whole process, considering that the delayed and prolonged process of introducing the foreign gene into an existing plant cell might result to ineffective transformation (Plant transformation methods, n.p.). Finally, the delivery system should be economical both in terms of time and resources consumed, considering that the plant transformation process is a timed process, where there are stipulated time schedules which the process should consume in different stages, being economical in time and resources is key to ensuring that the process is completed within the scheduled time and resource frame. The difference between stable and tr ansient plant transformation is that; in stable plant transformation, the foreign DNA that is introduced is integrated into the plant genome. However, in transient transformation, the foreign DNA that is introduced into the plant is not integrated into the plant genome, and thus the transgenic construct is eventually diluted, and then it is completely lost over time (Plant transformation methods, n.p.). Stable transformation is suitable for application in a situation where there is need to increase the DNA quantity and competence, considering that stable transformation entails the introduction of naked DNA to allow for exogenous uptake of DNA from the environment (Clark, n.p.). On the other hand, transient transformation can be applied where there is no great need for high quantity DNA, and

Leadership and Management of Strategic Change Assignment - 1

Leadership and Management of Strategic Change - Assignment Example Economic and technological changes in the past decade comply to change the business activities. New ideas should be generated by management of the company to change the business activities in a strategic way. Such practices which are not updated have to be removed and business activities should be redirected to cope with the changes of economy, technology, international competition and global market. Leadership quality is very much important to make some strategic changes within the organization. A good leadership quality is to predict the situation and future condition of the business. So a good leader always capable to see the future scenario and according to that scenario he make strategies so that the business will not face any kind of difficult challenges in near future. Leadership and management of the company are mainly responsible to bring a good strategic change for the better position of the company. Mannai Corporation is one of the oldest companies in Qatar. It is the largest service and trading company in that country. In the year 2010 it celebrated its 60th anniversary in a successful way. At the time of launching the business it was an auto part trader and later the business grew with numerous activities. It has two main key activities which are trade and services. These activities include sale of wide range of vehicle [small car to luxury passenger vehicle, used cars, commercial vehicle etc.]; sale, repair, hire and servicing of heavy equipments which are used in industrial and construction sector; sale of home appliances and electronic goods, provide services in case of information technology, manufacturing medical equipments, supply building materials and industrial chemicals and also act as an agent who successfully provide air travel services in the country. The vision of the company is to become a dependable business partner in the country with value added and exceptio nal

Organisational management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Organisational management - Essay Example he rules promulgated by the government for the benefit of the citizens in a way that would attempt to resolve conflict among individuals and groups as well as stamping out crime. The police organisations are structured in such a way where there are different departments responsible for different operations but at the end of the day are aimed at achieving the main objective of their existence which is promoting peace and an open system in their operations has been lauded as effective especially when interacting with the external environment. However, there are various factors that may influence the operations of the managers in police organisations such as PESTEL. The open system also affects the operations of an organisation to a certain extent as going to be discussed. As a point of departure, it is imperative to highlight the notion of open system as a way of gaining a clear understanding of the whole concept. Basically, the concept of open systems posits to the effect that police organisations rely heavily on the external environment which is significant in evaluating the inputs and the outputs related to their services (Chronkhite C.L., 2007). For instance, it was observed that in the UK most factors which impacted on the criminal justice system were external and finding responsive service to these problems required constant monitoring and feedback from the outside environment. This could be achieved through an open system that would allow the police service to get feedback from the external environment related to inputs and outputs and then carefully analyse this in order to operate more effectively and independently especially from political intervention. The control feedback is structured in such a way that is cybernetic in nature where the external agencies play the informing role and the police would act on such information in executing their duties. Like any other organisation, the police do not operate in a vacuum but in a society made up of people who

Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay Example for Free

Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay The Cold War is a prolonged state of tension and hostility held between the two major powers, namely the Soviets and the Americans after post-world war-two period. The term turning point implies that the Berlin blockade caused a turn of events and instigated the outbreak of the Cold War. Therefore, the statement made is only accurate to the extent that the Berlin Blockade was the direct factor regarding the outbreak of Cold War, yet it was not the only factor that sparked it off. Rather, it was the interplay of contributing factors such as mutual misunderstanding, conflicting security interests, willingness to support armed forces over and above those heeded for defence purposes, as well as the doomsday rhetoric. Therefore, it is portrayed that the Cold War was not the product of one event or incident, but rather of the fundamental clash of ideologies and interests between the two powers. The Berlin Blockade was the direct cause of the Cold War, stemming from the unhappiness of the Soviets over the issue of Germany in particular, thus proving to be a turning point in the Cold War. Stalin was unhappy over the Allied plans in Western Germany as stipulated by the Marshall Plan, such as the currency reforms as it would actually stifle the Soviets chance in increasing its sphere of influence into that area. The blockade therefore was an attempt made by the Soviets to diminish Western influence in Germany. However, the plan backfired due to the US superiority in air, using the Berlin airlift to transport the supplies into their own zone. This directly had negative repercussions in worsening the relations between the two powers, causing the definite split of Germany and leading to the outbreak of Cold War, showing how the Berlin blockade was the turning point in the outbreak of Cold War, by which it was the final straw that actually cemented the Cold War. Despite the Berlin Blockade being the direct factor that caused the outbreak of Cold War, one cannot neglect the factor that actually led to the Berlin Blockade: the disagreement over the German issue. The German issue was split into two areas: the question of reparations for Russia and the territorial and political boundaries drawn. In terms of reparations, the relations between both powers were strained due to the switch of US presidents that  resulted in the US going back on its word as agreed in the various wartime conference. At Yalta, Russian demand for $20 billion of reparations from Germany was rejected, with Roosevelt only permitting $10 billion in principle. This however was rejected yet again by his successor, Truman, who was not in favour of it. At Potsdam, the issue was further aggravated when Trumans secretary of state Byrnes asked Russia to obtain compensation from its own zone, which specialized in agriculture. The Soviet Union was only entitled to 25% of Germanys industrial equipment and Byrnes feared that Soviets demand for high reparation would delay Germany economic recovery at the US taxpayers expense. This increased resentment, as the Soviets felt compelled to increase its sphere of influence over Germany and extract more resources. This however was misinterpreted by the US as an expansionist attempt made by the Soviets, confirming their power hungry image. Based on the above mentioned factor, it is evident to see how the issue of Germany played a vital role in straining the relations between both powers, causing more misinterpretation as well as resentment felt for each other, finally culminating in the Cold War. The disagreement over the future of Germany was also one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. Stalin wanted the split of Germany to be fixed at the Ode-Nesse line, in which Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed, as it would give Poland extra land at the expense of Germany. The presence of Soviet troops at the line angered the US because it was seen as a unilateral action taken by the Soviets, and that there should be no Soviet aggrandizement at Germanys expense. This led to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance and facilitated the outbreak of the Cold War. On the other hand, the US also carried out unilateral actions in Germany causing further discontentment, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. This was seen in the case of the formation of Bizonia, by which the West wanted to bring the Western zones of Germany into one economic unit. This was to integrate Western Germany with Western Europe, in hopes of cutting Western Germany off from the Communist East. This move cemented the partition of Germany and was a move that the Soviets disapproved as it would  limit Soviet influence in West Germany. This caused further tension between the two powers, finally resulting in the Cold War. Apart from the issue of Germany, the actions taken by the Soviets as well as the US also played a vital role in aggravating the tensions held between both powers, causing the Cold War to break out. For one, Soviet activities in Poland were a contentious event, which caused suspicion and strain in the relationship between the US and the SU. This brings into question the issue of the security dilemma, by which for the Soviets, Poland and Eastern Europe were central to her security, as put through by Stalin as the question of Poland is not a matter of honour but life and death. Despite obtaining control of the Baltic States and having the 1918 border with Poland restored, Stalin felt that SU needed friendly states around her for security, which required them to be communist. At Yalta, it was promised that free elections would be held in the Eastern European states. However, the term free elections were different in principle, causing tensions. Roosevelt also refused to formally acknowledge the Percentages agreement concluded with Britain in 1944, increasing the friction between both parties. This made Stalin more determined to consolidate control over the Eastern European states, in which Stalin reduced the power of the London Poles by increasing communist members in the Lublin committee, heightening the tension and resentment. Truman and Byrnes demanded at Potsdam that Stalin have free elections in Europe based on how the US interprets the term, such as multi-party and fair election, which were rejected by the Soviets. This led to increased schism between the Soviets and the US, by which the relationship was placed under great stress, which in turn contributed to the outbreak of the Cold War. US actions in Europe also contributed to the increasing rivalry and hostility felt between the two parties, which led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The events surrounding the issue of economic reconstruction also played a role in fostering ill will, leading to the eventual outbreak of the Cold War. The US allowed the golden opportunity to work jointly with the Soviets to slip by, in which the US under Truman wanted to highlight the Soviet dependence on the US aid rather than portraying the Soviet as a worthy partner. The  lend-lease scheme, which the SU was dependent on to rebuild its economy, was cancelled in 1945. Congress also reduced the request for a 6 billion loan to q 1 billion. Furthermore, the loan was also conditional, in which the US demanded open markets to facilitate the free access of US goods and intellectual materials into Eastern Europe. This further heightened the tension, as the Soviets interpreted the US actions as dollar diplomacy in which the US was using its financial position as a way to dominate Soviet economic affairs. This caused the SU to retaliate by refusing to join World Bank and IMF, as earlier agreed at the Bretton-Wood meeting due to the reduction in loan. Therefore, the dollar diplomacy used by the US served only to further heighten the unhappiness as it aimed to make the Soviets an adversary rather than a valuable partner in the world stage, laying the frameworks for the outbreak of the Cold War. The development and testing of the atomic bomb and the use of US nuclear diplomacy also further facilitated the onset of the Cold War. This was seen in two events, namely the liberation of Japan and nuclear diplomacy. The atomic bomb allowed the US to liberate Japan without the help of the Soviets, causing the SU to lose its chance in having a foothold in East Asia. This led to worsening of relations as it went against the Yalta conference where it was agreed upon that the Soviets would have a hand in the liberation of Japan. Furthermore, the Soviets were not consulted regarding the issue. Truman also used the atomic bomb in a bid to intimidate Stalin into complying with the US demands of having free elections in Eastern Europe. Stalin however was undeterred and was determined to catch up with the US. The US refusal to share the nuclear technology with the Soviets or establish joint control of the weapons as stated in the Baruch Plan also worsened relations as the Soviets began viewing the US as a bully. Therefore, the US use of the atomic bomb in Japan, as well as the implementation of the nuclear diplomacy clearly proved how it worsened the relations between the two powers, bringing about the outbreak of Cold War. Leadership changes in the US in April 1945 from Roosevelt to Truman closed opportunities for future cooperation and negotiation between the two parties, culminating in the Cold War. Truman adopted a more hardline  approach regarding the dealings with the Soviets, in which he felt that cooperation was impossible. This translated into a non-accommodative approach towards Russia and the harsh measures taken by the US in dealing with the Soviets, causing the worsening of relations between them, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. The US containment policy also aided in worsening the relationship between the US and the SU, causing it to be a direct factor in the outbreak of the Cold War. Containment was an effort taken by the US to restrict communism from spreading further through the use of mainly monetary means. The two policies, namely the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were proof of that. The Truman Doctrine stemmed from the perception that there was a compelling need to restrict Soviet influence in Greece and Turkey. This prompted action from Congress, by which 400m was approved for both countries. Even though this policy was successful in eliminating the Soviet influence, it laid the basis for further Soviet discontent and the eventual Cold War. The Marshall Plan, which involved the German issue, was also one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The MP extended developmental aid to all countries, in hopes of reviving the European economy. Though it was open to all, the clauses stated by the US were found to be unfavorable to the Soviets. This compelled the SU to tighten its influence on Eastern Europe, giving rise to negative perceptions on both sides. Soviets were also unhappy with the currency reforms in Western Germany, as stipulated by the MP, which led to the direct cause of the Cold War, the Berlin Blockade. Therefore, it is clear that the Marshall Plan also contributed to the outbreak of the Cold War. Finally, differing ideologies and government system also perpetuated the outbreak of the Cold War. The differing views and goals of the two different political systems led to actions that seemed to be at odds and detrimental to the Westerns or Soviet interests. This led to misconceptions between both sides especially in regards to foreign policy intentions that culminated into a reaction-counter reaction measure, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. In conclusion, based on the above-mentioned factors, it is seen that the Berlin Blockade was the direct reason for the outbreak of the Cold War. With many factors linked to the Berlin Blockade, such as the Marshall Plan as well as the German issue, the statement is therefore accurate to that extent. However, other factors must not be neglected, as it was fundamentally the combination of factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War, such as the misinterpretations, conflicting security interests, willingness to support armed forces over and above those heeded for defence purposes, as well as the doomsday rhetoric.

Mathematical and Simulink Analysis of Relay Coordination Essay

†¢ Operational restrictions at light load may assist the coordination calculations e.g. most large HV motors would not be running, hence their starting performances need not be considered, when switchboard feeder circuit breakers are being examined. †¢ When all the overcurrent curves are plotted for the main generators, transformer feeders, large motors and downstream feeders, they tend to be located ‘close together’, and without much room for adjustment. 1. Radial System †¢ The specific protective relay as primary or backup is important in distribution system. When relay applied to protect its own system element it is thought of primary relay, when to backup other relays for fault at remote location, it is serving as backup relay. †¢ Providing both functions simultaneously; serving primary relay for its own zone protection and backup relay for remote zone of protection. The protective relay must be time-coordinated, so that the primary relay will always operate faster than the backup relay. †¢ So, the setting and coordination of the relay is the very important part to make sure which relay stands for primary and the other one for backup. 2. Ring Main System †¢ To setting relay, the same method is used for both ring and radial system. However, the circuit must be opened, start at the source point to form a two radial circuit before setting the relay. First, followed the clockwise. †¢ The relay setting start with R1 and the concept same like radial system. Second, followed the anticlockwise and the system will form a radial circuit. SYSTEM ANALYSIS: System DIRECTION OF RELAY OPERATION: Clockwise 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anticlockwise 8 13 12 11 10 ... ... GENERATOR DATA: NODE Sa(MVA) Vp(kV) X(%) 7 150 10 15 8 150 10 15 CT RATIO: RELAY NO. RATIO 1 240 2 240 3 160 4 240 5 240 6 240 7 240 8 240 9 160 10 240 11 240 12 240 13 240 Works Cited BIOGRAPHIES: 1.Aniket Chaturvedi: Student of the SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,GTU. 2.Ritu Barad: Student of the SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,GTU. 3.Dhruvi Shukla: Student of the SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,GTU. 4.Mr.Nilay N. Shah: Assistant Professor of SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,GTU.SINCE 2004. HE IS CURRENTLLY PURSING PH.D AND HIS RESEACH AREA ARE POWER SYSTEM DYNAMICS, FACTS , POWER SYSTEM PROTECTION AND ELECTRICAL MACHINE.

Romania :: essays research papers

One day a man named Jim was working at as a herder. Jim was very smart but could not was stuck in the family business of herding sheep all day. Well, Jim had had enough. "I can do better than this." He said. "In fact, I think I will revolutionize the entire world." With that he dropped his shepherd's crook and set to work on something that would make the world a better place. After months of work in his shed behind the small house he lived in, he had finally done it. "AT LAST!!! I HAVE CREATED THE BEST THING EVER!!!" He proclaimed. "Now all I have to do is figure out how to power it." You see, he had to find a power source because he had constructed a central processing unit capable of quadrillions of operations per second and hold an almost infinite ammount of data from only sheep dung. Yes, sheep dung. Well Jim had racked his brain for hours trying to find out how to make it work until it finally came to him. "I know!! Potatoes generate a marginal ammount of electricity, all i have to do is plug this baby into about 1 million or so and i am set!" Jim went out into the fields and gathering one million and one potatoes(one for himself for dinner) and created the battery for the computer. Finally, after months of hard work Jim was ready to unleash the power of his dung made, potato powered computer. With a deep breath he flipped the power switch. A deep hum ocurred and Jim continued to watch, intent on what was going to happen. After what seemed like an eternity, the computer's crystal monitor came to life and the computer began booting. "A SUCESS!!!" Jim proclaimed as he jumped into the air. Yet, all was not for the best, upon booting up the operating system and moving the mouse about, Jim encountered it, the most feared thing in all of geekdom, yes, Jim had experienced the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH!!! Jim tryed control-alt-delete but to no avail, he tried alt-f4 and alt-tabbing out of the screen but nothing worked. Upon closer inspection of the screen Jim noticed small print, he winced and could make out the letters: "W...I...N...D...O...W...S" "huh" jim said. "Windows?? I never made any windows...." But after reading the screen again he saw it, in plain type.