Animal Behavior: Pillbugs and Their Preferences

Animal Behavior: Pillbugs and Their Preferences The organism used in this experiment is Armadillidium vulgare which is commonly called a pillbug, sowbug, or roly-poly. The pillbug belongs to the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Crustacea, and Order Isopoda. To understand this experiment it is important to have some knowledge of the organism being observed. The pillbug is an isopod. The pillbug is made up of three body parts. They are the head, thorax, and abdomen. This organism has two pairs of antennae (one prominent and one inconspicuous), simple eyes, seven pairs of legs, seven separate segments on the thorax, and paired appendages at the end of the abdomen called uropods. The color varies from dark gray to white with pattern or white without pattern. Male and female pillbugs differ in that a female has leaf-like growths at the base of some of its legs. The purpose of these pouches is to hold developing eggs and embryos. Males differ in that the first two appendages on their abdomens are elongated copulatory organs. T he immature isopod looks like an adult, save for its size, proportion, color, and sexual development. The pillbug is of the Order Isopoda. Isopods feed on dead or decaying plants or animals. Some isopods may eat living plants. They breathe with gills, and therefore their habitats are places of high humidity. During the day, pillbugs hide in moist places, such as under stone and bark. The organism being observed reproduces on land instead of in water. The eggs develop in a brood pouch filled with fluid. This organism produces between one and two broods. This depends upon the females size and condition. The female may stop growing under stress. This decreases the likelihood of reproducing more than once. The pillbug society is patriarchal. The burrow in which a pillbug family lives is guarded by the father. Both the father and mother gather the food. The entire pillbug family cleans the burrow. The young set out in February to create families of their own. Pillbugs are known for their defense mechanism of curling up into a tight ball. As for the impact of isopods impact on the ecosystem, there are both positive and negative effects. Isopods cause minimal soil improvement and provide a food source for other animals. Large populations of isopods can eat and cause damage to plants. The role of the pillbug in the ecosystem is breaking down dead plants and animals. Pillbugs that live in gardens help the circulation of soil, but its possible they will eat small plants as they germinate. Overall, pillbugs have a small impact on the ecosystem. To understand this experiment it is also important to be somewhat knowledgable on ethology, the study of animal behavior. Behavior is defined as an animals response to sensory input. There are two categories that a behavior can fall into. They are learned and innate. The behavior that places an animal in its favorite environment is called an orientation behavior. When an animal moves toward or away from a stimulus, it has exhibited taxis. Light, heat, moisture, sound, or chemicals are often the stimuli that cause taxis. Random movement that does not result in orientation with respect to a stimulus is known as kinesis. Another type of behavior is Agnostic behavior. This is exhibited when animals respond to one another by aggressive or submissive responses. The pH of soil varies depending on the soils condition. There are plants that grow best when the soil is acidic, and there are some plants that grow best when the soil is basic. Most plants, however, show the best growth in areas where the pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.2, 7 being neutral. Hydrochloric acid and Sodium Hydroxide have pHs at the extremes of the pH scale. The pH of Hydrochloric acid, HCL, (0.1 M) is about 1.1. Sodium Hydroxide, KOH, (0.1 M) has a pH of about 13.5. Detritus is what isopods feed on, and it as a more acidic pH. When organic matter decays, H ions are produced. Therefore, acid is added to the soil. Generally, the acidity limit for plants is no lower than approximately 4.5 to 5.6 on the pH scale. The vapor pressure of a liquid refers to the idea that, in a closed container, evaporation will continue until equilibrium is reached. The vapor pressure of HCl and water are approximately equal (20 mmHg at room temperature, 22 C), and the vapor pressure of KOH for a 45% so lution is approximately 2 mmHg. The purpose of this experiment was to use pillbugs to examine animal behaviors and habitat preferences and to determine whether this organism prefers moist or dry habitats, dark or light habitats, and acidic or caustic environments With knowledge of isopods and pillbugs, it was hypothesized that the pillbugs would spend more time near the damp filter paper because of their need for high humidity in order to breathe. Given that pillbugs live under rocks and feed on decaying organisms, which release acid into the soil, it was also hypothesized that they would prefer the dark rather than light conditions and the acidic over the caustic environment. Materials and Methods Water Pipet Filter Paper (2 pieces) Choice Chamber Scissors Soft Brush 10 Pill Bugs Stopwatch To observe pill bugs and their preference moist versus dry conditions, a choice chamber, consisting of two petri dishes connected to one another, was obtained and lined with filter paper. Two pieces of filter paper were cut to fit the chambers. One was then moistened, using a pipette, with a few drops of water. The second piece of circular filter paper was left dry. The moistened filter paper was placed at the bottom of one chamber, chamber 1, and the dry filter paper was placed at the bottom of the other, chamber 2. Then, using a soft brush, ten pill bugs were obtained from the stock of pill bugs, and then placed into the chambers. Also using a soft brush, five pill bugs were placed in the dry chamber while the remaining five were placed in the moist chamber and the chambers were closed. This pillbug count for each chamber was then recorded for time zero minutes. Using the stopwatch to track time, the count of pill bugs on each side of the choice chamber was then recorded every 30 s econds for ten minutes, and continued even when some may no longer have been moving or were all on one side. Notes were taken on the actions and interactions of the pill bugs throughout the ten minute period. Once ten minutes had elapsed, the pill bugs were returned to the stock culture. Black Paper White Filter Paper Choice Chamber 10 Pill Bugs Soft Brush Scissors Stopwatch To determine the preference of pill bugs between light and dark habitats and conditions, a choice chamber with two connecting petri dishes was lined with two different types of paper. One piece of normal filter paper and one piece of black paper were both cut to fit the chambers. Next, the bottom of the inside of one dish, chamber 1, was covered with the unaltered, white filter paper and the other dish, chamber 2, was lined with the black paper. Then, using a soft brush, ten pill bugs were obtained from the pill bug stock culture, five of which were placed in the black-paper lined chamber and the remaining five were placed in the white paper lined chamber. The choice chamber was then closed. The initial pill bug count, 5 in each chamber was then recorded in the table. For a period of ten minutes, using a stopwatch to track time, the count of the pill bugs on each side of the choice chamber was recorded every thirty seconds. In addition, notes about the interactions of the pill bugs w ere taken throughout the ten minute period. The count continued to be taken, regardless of the lack of movement from the pill bugs or the concentration of all ten in one chamber. After the ten minutes had elapsed, the pill bugs were returned to the stock culture. White Filter Paper (2 pieces) 0.1 M HCl (Hydrochloric Acid) 0.1 M KOH (Potassium Hydroxide) Pipettes (1 or 2) Filter Paper (3 Pieces) 3 Choice Chamber 10 Pill Bugs Scissors Stopwatch To determine and see the preference of pill bugs in terms of basic and acidic conditions, a 3-choice chamber was set up. Three pieces of filter paper were cut to fit the chambers. Using a pipette, about four drops of 0.1 M HCl were placed in a circular pattern about the paper. Another piece of filter paper was sprinkled with 0.1 M KOH in the same manner as was done with the hydrochloric acid. The HCl and KOH were applied to the filter paper in such a way that the paper was not drenched in the chemical. One chamber, the one connected to two other chambers was lined with an unaltered piece of filter paper. One of the two remaining chambers, chamber 1, was lined at the bottom (inside bottom) with the acidic filter paper and the remaining chamber, chamber 3, was lined at the bottom with the basic filter paper. Using a soft brush, the ten pill bugs were all removed from the stock culture and placed in chamber 2, the middle chamber consisting of the unaltered paper. The chambers were then covered and the pill bug count was recorded in the table for the initial time of 0 minutes. For the next ten minutes, the count of pill bugs in each of the three chambers was recorded every thirty minutes. The data continued to be collected even when they were no longer moving sides or were all on one side. After the ten minutes had elapsed, the ten pill bugs were returned to the stock culture. Results Table 1: Number of Pillbugs in Wet vs. Dry Chambers at Various Times Time (min.) Number in Wet Chamber Number in Dry Chamber Other Notes 0 5 5 Begin moving instantly 0.5 2 8 Large number shifts together to one side 1 1 9 One more baby follows 1.5 3 7 Fighting between two larger isopods 2 5 5 Even out again 2.5 5 5 Move about but come back to even; one not moving 3 6 4 More to wet chamber 3.5 4 6 Back to Dry Chamber 4 5 5 Crawling on underside of paper 4.5 4 6 Fighting to get from one side to another 5 3 7 Large pillbug still not moving 5.5 6 4 Other pillbugs begin gathering around non-moving pillbug 6 7 3 Pillbugs piled on top of one another 6.5 5 5 Pillbug begins to move again 7 4 6 More to Dry Chamber 7.5 5 5 Back at even 8 6 4 Continual switch from chamber to chamber 8.5 7 3 Begin gathering at wet chamber 9 9 1 More join wet chamber 9.5 7 3 Crowded, a few go to dry chamber 10 9 1 Return to wet chamber Table 2: Number of Pillbugs in Lighter vs. Darker Colored Chambers at Various Times Time (min.) Number in Light Chamber Number in Dark Chamber Other Notes 0 5 5 Begin moving instantly 0.5 3 7 Move to dark side 1 2 8 More to dark side 1.5 2 8 Remain, no overall movement 2 2 8 No overall movement 2.5 3 7 Begin going to white side 3 3 7 No overall movement 3.5 4 6 Moving to lighter side 4 2 8 Move to dark side 4.5 5 5 Equalize again 5 3 7 Fighting to get to dark side 5.5 5 5 Equalize again 6 4 6 More to Dark side 6.5 7 3 Piling up to get to lighter side 7 7 3 No overall movement 7.5 8 2 More in lighter side 8 9 1 More in lighter side 8.5 7 3 Move to dark side 9 5 5 Equalize again 9.5 3 7 Move to darker side 10 4 6 Young follows adult to other side Table 3: Number of Pillbugs in Neutral, Acidic and Basic Chambers at Various Times Time (min.) Number in Neutral Chamber (Control) Number in Acidic Chamber Number in Basic Chamber Other Notes 0 10 0 0 Immediate Movement 0.5 2 5 3 Move to acidic 1 3 5 2 Stay around outside of chamber 1.5 6 2 2 Quickly out of acidic and into neutral area 2 4 3 3 More to basic area 2.5 5 2 3 Away from acidic area 3 2 3 5 More slowly moving to basic area 3.5 2 1 7 Movement to basic chamber 4 4 0 6 Pillbugs all out of Acidic area 4.5 1 1 8 Most in Basic area 5 1 4 5 Some return to acidic chamber 5.5 3 1 6 Slowly moving out of Acidic chamber and into neutral and basic chambers 6 4 1 5 Out of basic and into neutral 6.5 3 1 6 Back into basic area, around outside of filter paper 7 3 1 6 No overall movement 7.5 4 0 6 All gone from acidic area 8 3 0 7 More to basic area 8.5 4 0 6 Small shift 9 3 0 7 Reverse of shift 9.5 2 0 8 More to basic area more slowly than before test 10 1 0 9 More to basic area Figure 1: Fluctuation in Number of Pillbugs in Wet and Dry Chambers Figure 2: Fluctuation in Number of Pillbugs in Lighter and Darker Colored Chambers Figure 3: Fluctuation in Number of Pillbugs in Acidic, Neutral and Basic Chambers Discussion Table 4: Average Number of Pillbugs in Wet vs. in Dry Chambers Time (min.) Number in Wet Chamber Number in Dry Chamber Average # of Pill Bugs in Wet Average # of Pill Bugs in Dry 0 5 5 0.5 2 8 1 1 9 1.5 3 7 2 5 5 2.5 5 5 3 6 4 3.5 4 6 4 5 5 4.5 4 6 5 3 7 5.5 6 4 6 7 3 6.5 5 5 7 4 6 7.5 5 5 8 6 4 8.5 7 3 9 9 1 9.5 7 3 10 9 1 Total # of Pill bugs 108 102 5.143 4.857 Table 5: Average Number of Pillbugs in Lighter vs. Darker-Colored Chambers Time (min.) Number in Light Chamber Number in Dark Chamber Average # of Pill Bugs in White (Light) Average # of Pill Bugs in Dark 0 5 5 0.5 3 7 1 2 8 1.5 2 8 2 2 8 2.5 3 7 3 3 7 3.5 4 6 4 2 8 4.5 5 5 5 3 7 5.5 5 5 6 4 6 6.5 7 3 7 7 3 7.5 8 2 8 9 1 8.5 7 3 9 5 5 9.5 3 7 10 4 6 Total # of Pill Bugs 93 117 4.429 5.571 Table 6: Average Number of Pillbugs in Neutral, Acidic and Basic Chambers Time (min.) Number in Neutral Chamber Number in Acidic Chamber Number in Basic Chamber Average # of Pill Bugs in Neutral Chamber Average # of Pill Bugs in Acidic Chamber Average # of Pill Bugs in Basic Chamber 0 10 0 0 0.5 2 5 3 1 3 5 2 1.5 6 2 2 2 4 3 3 2.5 5 2 3 3 2 3 5 3.5 2 1 7 4 4 0 6 4.5 1 1 8 5 1 4 5 5.5 3 1 6 6 4 1 5 6.5 3 1 6 7 3 1 6 7.5 4 0 6 8 3 0 7 8.5 4 0 6 9 3 0 7 9.5 2 0 8 10 1 0 9 Total # of Pill Bugs 70 30 110 3.33 1.429 5.238 Figure 4: Comparison of Average Number of Pillbugs in Wet Chamber vs. in Dry Chamber Figure 5: Comparison of Average Number of Pillbugs in Lighter-colored and Dark-colored Paper Figure 6: Comparison of Average Number of Pillbugs in Acidic, Neutral and Basic Chambers It was hypothesized that the pillbugs, given that they possess gills for respiration, and that they live where there is not a lot of light (under rocks and logs), they would prefer the damp chamber over the dry chamber and the dark chamber over the light chamber. Knowing that pillbugs feed off of decaying organic material, and the process of decay increases the soil acidity, it was hypothesized that the pillbugs would prefer the acidic chamber (the one with HCl), over the caustic (with KOH) and neutral chambers. The data collected supports the hypothesis. The mean number of pill bugs in each chamber was calculated by totaling the pillbug count for all twenty-one times in one chamber and then doing the same for the next chamber and then dividing the two totals by the total number of pillbugs counted. This number was 210 in each case. As evidenced by Table 4 and Figure 4, the mean number of pillbugs in the damp chamber over ten minutes was approximately 5.143, and the mean number of pi llbugs in the dry chamber over ten minutes was approximately 4.857. The higher average of the damp chamber over the dry chamber shows taxis toward the stimulus (moisture). The data collected also supported the second part of what was hypothesized. The mean number of pillbugs in the chamber with light paper was about 4.429. Table 5 and Figure 5 show the mean number of pillbugs in the dark chamber to be about 5.571. The results and the known habitats of pillbugs are consistent with one another. The data collected in part three of the experiment did not support what was hypothesized. Table 6 and Figure 6 show that the basic environment (one with drops of KOH) was actually preferred over a neutral environment and the acidic environment (one with drops of HCl) by the pillbugs. The mean number of pillbugs in the neutral environment was about 3.33, for the acidic environment the mean was about 1.429 and for the caustic environment the mean was about 5.238. Its possible the explanation for these results is the vapor pressure of the Hydrochloric acid being higher than that of the Sodium Hydroxide. Irritation caused by HCL vaporizing quickly and getting into the pillbugs gills would explain the lack of time spent in the chamber with the HCl on the filter paper. The lack of moisture on the plain filter paper could explain the lack of time spent in the neutral chamber. The pillbugs antennae would sense any chemical or something like it, and they would be attracted to that chamber. Ag nostic behavior was exhibited by the pillbugs inside the choice chambers. Fighting between the pillbugs represents agnostic behavior. The results of the experiment would not be affected by errors in counting or other human errors. The data collected from the experiment supported two thirds of what was hypothesized. The pillbugs preferences for dark and damp environments over light and dry environments were supported by the results. However, the results suggest that pillbugs preference is for the more caustic environments over the environments that are neutral or acidic. Citations 1. Brown, Courtney Jane. ADW: Armadillidium Vulgare: Information. Animal Diversity Web. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 2. Lab # 11 Animal Behavior (College Board, 2001) APÂ ® Biology Lab Manual for Students (2001) New Jersey: College Board. p. 125-131. 3. Isopod, Pillbug, Sow Bug Information. UA Center for Insect Science Education Outreach. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 4. Soil PH and Soil Acidity or Alkalinity. Landscaping and Lawns by Donnan Landscape. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 5. HYDROCHLORIC ACID (LESS THAN 10%). New Mallinckrodt Baker Website. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 6. What Is Acidic Soil? Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 7. Vapor Pressure. Test Page for Apache Installation. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 8. The MSDS HyperGlossary: Vapor Pressure. Transferring You to the ILPI Home Page Web. 24 Mar. 2011. .

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t Essay

â€Å"First rule of magic: always be the smartest person in the room.† This is demonstrated all throughout the mysteriously riveting 2013 movie Now You See Me, directed by Louis Leterrier. A group of four magicians: Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), all receive a card with a date and location on where to meet. Upon meeting at the designated meeting spot, they discovered they were all chosen to be part of a series of special magic acts. They are from then on referred to as The Four Horseman. For their remarkable acting, thrilling stunts, and magical storyline, Now You See Me is an excellent pick for all ages to enjoy. The film follows The Four Horseman and their quest on helping people who got cheated out on their money by performing magic acts. The Horseman begin one of their shows by doing a magic trick where the audience pulls out a piece of paper with their account balance on, and the balance suddenly increases to a higher amount of money. The horseman call up to the stage Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), who is the owner of Tressler Insurance. They explain that all the people in the audience have been cheated due to Tressler’s Insurance, and the money that was going into the audience’s accounts was coming out of Tressler’s bank account. Since the events of the horseman have been going on, the FBI hire agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) to investigate along with Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) of Interpol. In addition to the FBI, an illusion exposer Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), try to uncover the mysteries of the illusions. Throughout the movie, it is unexplainable to why the horseman are undergoing these illusions without any benefits for themselves. However, it is revealed that agent Rhodes hired the horseman to get revenge on Bradley and the others that were involved for his father’s death. Many people seek revenge when something traumatic happens in their life. In the movie, it is revealed that Agent Rhodes’ father died from a faulty safe that he used in one of his underwater magic tricks. Rhodes is the hooded figure in the beginning of the film who chose the four magicians who later became The Four Horseman and help him seek out revenge. In the Horseman’s first magic trick, they chose a random guest out of the audience for their show. This illusion included the man getting teleported to a bank in Paris where he helped get money from the bank, and the money was then rained down from the ceiling of  where the show was being held. At another one of the Horseman’s shows, an illusion was preformed where money was stolen from Arthur Tressler’s account and placed into the audience’s accoun ts. These two illusions were not just random picks. The man’s bank that was in Paris and Tressler’s insurance company both would not give any benefits to Rhodes’ family after his father’s death. Rhodes also targeted Thaddeus Bradley because when his father was alive they were rivals. Rhodes’ father did the underwater trick that had the faulty safe because Bradley was in competition with him and challenged him to it. The themes in the film were performed well by the actors. So, the acting in Now You See Me was a great fit for the characters in the film. I loved Dave Franco’s character. He did a great job with the action role he was put in and being the underdog who had to fight and pull off stunts. For example, when the FBI finds the horseman in the apartment room, Franco’s character is left behind to get rid of papers and other information they had in the room. The agents come in the room, and Franco has to try to fight them away. The performance is very believable, and he makes it seem that fighting was natural and easy. This role in an action film contrasts from the movie Franco stars in, 21 Jump Street. This film is a comedy and Franco pulls of the different genres of movies. Another star I liked was Isla Fisher. Fisher played Henley Reeves, a magician who focused on intense stunts. I really loved Fisher in the movie The Bachelorette, which was a romantic comedy. She excelled in this movie and excels in Now You See Me, an action film. Fisher is great at performing her stunts and presenting the illusions. For example, when she first does her trick in the box of water and when she explains the transportation illusion. I like how she has a hint of mystery and wonder in her voice. One person that stood out as a performer was Mark Ruffalo, who played Agent Dylan Rhodes. I have seen him in many different movies and roles; two of my favorite movies Ruffalo has stared in are Rumor Has It and 13 Going On 30. In both of these movies, he is portrayed as a love interest and did really well. In contrast, his part in Now You See Me was an FBI agent, and he looked like a natural and as if he fit the part of a real agent. Ruffalo did a good job of not giving away that he was the one who brought the Horseman together and the one was behind it all. Along with the acting I thought the overall film was very believable as well. Although some tricks were a bit farfetched such as the  teleportation device, a lot of the tricks were believable. For example, the card tricks that Daniel Atlas does are very similar to magicians now, and hypnosis is a very believable thing to people who go to shows today. â€Å"The more you look, the less you see† is a quote said multiple times throughout the film. This ties into the stunts aspect of the movie because if you look closer to the tricks and analyze them you lose the full excitement and awe of the illusions being performed. The film had a very distinct style and ways of using each characters abilities. But there is another movie that it reminds me of, The Prestige. In this movie, there are two rival magicians that compete for the fame and try and steal each other’s tricks and secrets. There are both similarities and differences in these two films. In Now You See Me, Rhodes’ father is killed because of a faulty safe in an underwater magic trick her performed. Similarly, in The Prestige a woman is killed when she cannot escape from a box of water in a trick. At the end of the film, one of the main characters also drowns in a glass box filled with water used for a magic act. Another similarity is in the very end of both films the man who was responsible for the death and deception of another person is tricked, and they both end up in jail. In Contrast, The Prestige is more about the lives of the two men and how they try to compete and get the upper hand, while Now You See Me was about magicians helping one person get revenge on something that happened years before. Although Now You See Me is similar to other movies, it had great special effects and stunts. I thought the most impressive special effect was the scene of the car chase. They did a good job of making the chase look believable. When the car wrecked, rolled across the highway, and blew up into fire and smoke, the special effects made it look realistic and as if it really could have happened. A stunt scene that was performed well was when Jack Wilder fights the agents in the apartment building. The fight had a lot of advanced moves and violence and Wilder made it seem realistic. He has such ease in the stunts that really made his performance stand out. Another example is the final show that the horseman perform. There were lots of lights and the final three hor seman were projected on the buildings while they talked somewhere inside. When the horseman announce that it is their last show and said goodbye, they proceeded to jump off of a tall building. The special effects make it look as if the horseman turn into money as they fall from the rooftop. Because of  all the special effects and tricks that happen, I think the movie’s title was based off this. When the horseman perform their shows and tricks, they do it in front of everyone. Since they often show the audience what they are doing and explain what is happening, I think that is why it is called Now You See Me. It is also a play off the common saying â€Å"Now you see me, now you don’t†. This is a common saying among magicians because they often make things disappear and reappear, and the audiences don’t always see all their tricks and how they are executed. In my opinion, Now You See Me was an outstanding movie. The overall theme and storyline was easy to understand. One of the best scenes was when Jack Wilder fights off Dylan Rhodes. I loved the action of this scene and how it was performed. The best part of the fight was when Wilder fights Rhodes with magic. By doing this it shows that Wilder is versatile in his role of not only a magician but a great fighter as well. I would love to go and buy this movie so I could watch it more than once. This is a movie I really enjoyed and would love to watch more so I could see more of the details and pay more attention to the tricks. I would rate this a 10 out of 10 and would recommend it to others if you like exciting films that keep you interested and wondering what will happen next.

Case Study Review Language and Globalization...

9 -5 0 7 -0 3 3 REV: AUGUST 16, 2007 JOHN DEIGHTON VINCENT DESSAIN LEYLA N D PI TT D A N I E L A B E Y E R SD O RF E R ANDERS SJÃâ€"MAN Marketing Chà ¢teau Margaux Were a wine to be drunk in paradise, it would be Chà ¢teau Margaux. — William Styron, Sophie’s Choice Brad watched as wine poured from a precarious height into his glass, generating turbulence but no splash. â€Å"I must try that,† he thought. A young management consultant, Brad was no stranger to expensive meals, but here he felt separated from the proceedings by more than income. He was the junior member of a consulting team invited to join Corinne Mentzelopoulos and Paul Pontallier for lunch at Chà ¢teau Margaux, in the room where such luminaries as the president of†¦show more content†¦We belong to it.† Chà ¢teau Margaux Chà ¢teau Margaux was part of the French elite of wines known as first growths, five specific wines from the Bordeaux region (see Exhibit 1 for Bordeaux wine region map). Although it was protected in this status by a classification system that dated from 1855, its quality had fluctuated, and at the time that the Mentzelopoulos family acquired control of the estate its fortunes were not strong. Together with equally young general manager Pontallier, Corinne Mentzelopoulos had restored the declining estate to a level worthy of its history and reputation. Leading wine critic Robert Parker had recently described Chà ¢teau Margaux as a â€Å"brilliantly consistent wine of stunning grace, richness and complexity.†1 It was often called the most seductive and elegant of all Bordeaux wines. In essence, wine was an agricultural product, which made land and climate fundamental to the product. While the wine makers and their techniques could change, the land remained a constant. In France, this was referred to as terroir. To the French, terroir stood for the idea that a plot of land, because of its specific microclimate and soil, determined a wine’s distinctive character. Terroir was the principle that led the French to name wines after the place they came from rather than by their grape type. Climate, however, varied from one year to another, so a wine’s vintage influenced its quality. Further, Bordeaux wines, especiallyShow MoreRelatedCase Study Review: Language and Globalization: â€Å"Englishnization† at Rakuten1199 Words   |  5 Pages1 Was â€Å"Englishnization† a good idea for Rakuten? What are the costs/benefits of such a policy? Rakuten’s decision for â€Å"englishnization† of the company is 100% in line with the trend that â€Å"English is now the global Language of Business† Englishnization of global corporations: Strategy is Needed by Sebastian Reiche blog.iese.edu It still doesn’t mean an easy transition. People naturally oppose any changes and that can lead to higher costs especially in the beginning stages. The way Mikitani

Understanding Citizen Journalism

Citizen journalism involves private individuals, who are normally the consumers of journalism, generating their own news content. Citizens collect, report, analyze, and disseminate news and information, just as professional journalists would, creating what is known as user-generated content. These amateur journalists produce news in many forms, ranging from a podcast editorial to a report about a city council meeting on a blog, and is usually digital in nature. It can also include text, pictures, audio, and video. Social media plays a major role in disseminating news and promoting citizen journalism content. Since the general public has 24/7 access to technology, citizens are often the first on-scene for breaking news, getting these stories out more quickly than traditional media reporters. However, unlike professional journalists, citizen journalists may not have conducted the same background research and source verification, which can make these leads less reliable. Collaborations vs. Independent Reporting Citizens are able to contribute content, in one form or another, to existing professional news sites. This collaboration can be seen through readers posting their comments alongside stories written by professional reporters, like a 21st-century version of a letter to the editor. To prevent obscene or objectionable messages, many websites require readers to register in order to post. Readers are also adding their information to articles written by professional journalists. For instance, a reporter may do an article about disparities in gas prices around town. When the story appears online, readers can post information about gas prices in areas not covered in the original story and even offer tips on where to buy cheaper gas. This collaboration allows both citizen and professional journalists to craft a story together. Reporters might even ask readers with expertise in particular areas to send them information on that topic or even do some of their own reporting. That information is then incorporated into the final story. Some amateur journalists operate fully independent of traditional, professional news outlets. This can include blogs in which individuals can report on events in their communities or offer commentary on the issues of the day, YouTube channels where citizens give their own news reports and commentaries, and even unofficial print publications. Revolutionizing News Citizen journalism was once hailed as a revolution that would make news-gathering a more democratic process — one that would no longer solely be the province of professional reporters. It has had a significant impact on todays news, with many believing that citizen journalism is a threat to professional and traditional journalism. Social media has played a vital role in revolutionizing news. Many citizens are the first to report on breaking stories, with eye-witness videos, first-hand accounts, and real-time information, all using social media. Even news outlets will share breaking stories on social media before traditional means, but they have to still follow up with larger stories quickly or risk being outdated with their material in this fast-paced news environment. Social media doesnt just play a role in disseminating citizen-generated news; it also stands as a source for professional journalists to identify the stories they need to cover. A 2016 study by Cision indicated that more than 50% of professional journalists used social media to find and build stories. Despite its vast impact on our daily news, citizen journalism is not without its flaws. The biggest concern is the reliability of news, including fact-checking and the risk of incorrect information being disseminated.