Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Special Feeding Adaptations of the Seahorse

The seahorse is one of 54 different species of fish in the marine genus Hippocampus—a word that comes from the Greek word for horse. Only a small handful of species are commonly seen in tropical and temperate waters of both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They range in size from tiny, 1/2-inch fish to nearly 14 inches in length. Seahorses are one of the only fish that swim in an upright position  and are the slowest-swimming of all fishes. Seahorses are generally considered to be an evolved form of pipefish. How Seahorses Eat Because they swim so slowly, eating can be a challenge for the seahorse. Further complicating things is the fact that a seahorse has no stomach. It needs to eat almost constantly because food quickly passes straight through its digestive system. An adult seahorse will eat 30 to 50 times per day, while baby  seahorses  eat 3,000 pieces of food per day. Seahorses do not have teeth; they suck in their food and swallow it whole. Thus their prey needs to be very small. Primarily, seahorses feed on plankton, small fish and small crustaceans, such as shrimp and copepods. To compensate for its lack of swimming speed, a seahorses neck is well adapted for catching prey. Seahorses ambush their prey by hovering silently nearby, attached to plants or corals and often camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings. Suddenly, the seahorse will tilt its head and slurp in its prey. This movement results in a distinctive sound. Unlike their relatives, the pipefish, seahorses can extend their heads forward, a process that is aided by their curving neck. Although they cant swim as well as pipefish, The seahorse has the ability to stealthily reach out and strike their prey. This means that they can wait for prey to pass by their perch, rather than actively pursuing them—a task that is difficult given their very slow speed. The hunt for prey is also aided by the seahorses eyes, which have evolved to move independently, allowing them an easier search for prey.   Seahorses as Aquarium Specimens What about captive seahorses? Seahorses are popular in the aquarium trade, and there is currently a movement to raise seahorses in captivity to protect the wild population. With coral reefs in danger, the native habitat of the seahorse is also challenged, leading to ethical concerns about harvesting them from the wild for the aquarium trade. Further, captive-bred seahorses seem to thrive better in aquariums than do capture  wild seahorses.   However, efforts to breed seahorses in captivity is somewhat complicated by the fact that young seahorses prefer live food that must be very small, given the tiny size of the young seahorses. While they are often fed frozen crustaceans, captive seahorses do better when feeding on live food. Live wild- or captive-raised copepods (tiny crustaceans)  and rotifers are a good food source that allows young seahorses to thrive in captivity. Resources and Further Reading Bai, Nina. â€Å"How the Sea Horse Got Its Curves.† Scientific American, Springer Nature, 1 Feb. 2011.Scales, Helen. Poseidons Steed: The Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality. Gotham, 2009.â€Å"Sea Horse Facts.† The Seahorse Trust, Seahorse Alliance, 2019.Souza-Santos, Là ­lia P., et al. â€Å"Prey Selection of Juvenile Seahorse Hippocampus Reidi.† Aquaculture, vol. 404-405, 10 Aug. 2013, pp. 35-40.â€Å"Theres Something About Seahorses.† Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Cosmetic Surgery Industry Is No Different - 1736 Words

In modern America, media dictates opinions of society from the types of clothing worn to the political candidates supported; the cosmetic surgery industry is no different. With popular television shows Extreme Makeover, the general public is inundated with images promoting the use of cosmetic surgery to achieve the societal view of what is beautiful. The stereotypical definition of beauty is vast, but has several common factors, such as: full lips, large breasts, small waists, and curvy hips. For most women, these traits do not come naturally, therefore women feel obligated to spend thousands of dollars and risk their health to undergo cosmetic procedures. Due to the influx of those seeking cosmetic surgery, physicians are looking for†¦show more content†¦40). Three theories that best represent the influence of media on body image are Social Comparison Theory, which shows how individuals appraise themselves by analyzing others, Self-Schema Theory that explains the self-wort h of individuals are established by what is viewed as beneficial, and Self Discrepancy Theory which illustrates that individuals posses a glorified version of themselves (Walker 1+). Although these theories do not explain all of the ways in which media influences the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery, they do support a more clear understanding of the significance of media images. Additionally, in â€Å"Body Image and the Media,† Walker affirms that â€Å"People compare themselves to images, internalize these idealized images as the norm, and absorb the message that they should judge themselves based on their appearance† (1+). The study published in â€Å"An Intervention†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , contemplated that the image of a woman with a slim figure would cause the viewer’s self-appreciation to decline, yet when presented with media fallacies, her self-appreciation would increase (Haas et. al. 405+). Haas postulates that â€Å"Interaction effects and post-hoc ana lyses revealed significant positive changes in the experimental group’s view of their overall boy esteem, sexual

Monday, December 9, 2019

Financial Analysis and the Investment Decisions

Question : Obtain annual financial reports of BP (petrol company) for the period 2010 to 2013 inclusive. Do a financial analysis based on Consolidated data and write a brief report from the perspective of financial analysts of the firm. Answer : Introduction In order to take finance decisions it is very important that proper analysis is being conducted on the various available opportunities for a firm and an enterprise. The relationship between the sources of investments is to be judged after proper analysis could be done. The investors generally compare the opportunities from the bank rate of interest which is always prefixed and also risk free return is being earned by them for this. The analysis of the financial position of BP ltd is as under for the period commencing from 2010 to 2013 Types Of Ratios BP LTD 2013 2012 2011 2010 Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio 1.33 1.19 1.06 1.08 Quick Ratio 0.91 0.82 0.74 0.76 Cash Ratio 0.23 0.21 0.16 0.22 Activity Ratios Inventory Turnover 10.39 10.96 10.61 6.25 Debtor's turnover 8.28 8.85 7.85 3.82 Asset Turnover Ratio 1.24 1.25 1.28 1.28 Working Capital Turnover Ratio 15.79 25.33 69.75 23.76 Solvency Ratios Debt Equity Ratio 0.37 0.41 0.39 0.47 Proprietary Ratio 0.48 0.45 0.37 0.39 Capital Gearing Ratio 3.17 2.44 2.70 3.16 Profitability Ratios GP Ratio 14.05% 13% 17.51% 5.48 % Return On Capital Ratio 18.22 10% 19.95 (3.47) EPS Ratio 123.87 60.86 135.93 (19.81) NP Ratio 6.27 3% 8.78 (1.12) EPS Per Share Particulars 2013 2012 2011 2010 Total Earnings 23758 11816 26097 -3324 No of Shares 191.80 194.15 191.99 167.794 EPS 123.87 60.86 135.93 -19.81 Net Tangible Asset backing Per Share Particulars 2013 2012 2011 2010 Net Tangible Assets. 96187 83718 79280 72995 No of Shares 191.80 194.15 191.99 167.79 NTA/Per Share 501.502 431.202 412.941 435.027 Profitability Analysis The profitability ratios are being used to find the position of the profits that the business that is being earned by the business and it is very important to judge the decisions of investment based on these ratios. The gross profit makes us clear about the trading profits which is being decreased by other expenses in the net profit ratio and hence such ratios are important to get the knowledge that whether the business is profitable or not. It can be witnessed by the above calculations for BP Ltd that the company is improving in the profitability structure by the time as seen by the figures of 2013. The overall profits of the company including EPS had shown a great improvement along with the total return on capital employed. This shows that it had focused on its weakness and improved with time. Liquidity Analysis The liquidity ratios indicate the strength of the business in terms where there will be some issues related to the payment of short term liabilities and it is very dangerous to have low ratios and it although company is able to able to pay off the liabilities with the present current assets but the liquidity position is not too strong for the company as the quick or acid test ratios are less than one which indicates that company has assets but lacks quick and liquid assets. The cash is also not as much as needed for maintaining the liquidity of the firm. The company BP Ltd should focus on the liquidity of the company by managing the working capital levels effectively. Activity/ Solvency Ratios These are ratios that investor will look at the most when they are looking for long term investments in the business as they would like that the operating cycle of the company goes on very well so that the liquidity is being maintained as well as the efficiency of the working can be well determined by the above ratios. The collection period indicates how well the debtors are being realized from credit sales as lower is the collection period it is better for the company. The turnover ratios are a good proof that the company is working in the correct direction or not. It shows that the operating effectiveness which effects the business a lot. The debtors and inventory turnovers needs a look as the stock held in hand is less but the collection period is high for BP Ltd which also somewhere shows that the working capital cycle of the company is not so strong to manage future shocks. The debt equity ratios for the company is the most attractive part of the company as it is very low which shows that the firm has a good capital base and it also maintaining it over the years of trade. The company should ensure that the same is maintained as it decreases the cost of capital for the investors and makes the firm less risks and fundamentally strong. Overall Attractiveness The most significant thing that a layman can also understand is the EPS as well as the ROCE as this can be used to judge the performance on a overall basis and its easier to have better idea of the corporate. It is very good for the company and has improved with time to the great extent in the long run and would increase in the near future also. As the company is in the phase of growth and this would itself lead the company to establish itself in the corporate world. Recommendation It is being recommended that the investors should invest in the company from a long term prospective as the company has good potential along with the investments compare the returns with the bank return in the country Australia which is about 3.55% on the deposits but it can be seen that in the companies taken above it is lower than these and it is very hard for the investors to look over it and thus it is very important to look over the ratios well before any decisions can be taken. So the investors should go for investment in this company due to the growth feature. Conclusion It can be concluded that the decision of investment is to be taken with due care and before any such decisions is taken proper analysis should be done in order to establish certain goals related to the enterprise. The investment opportunities are subject to the market risk which should also be considered before any decisions could be taken on the same References https://www.aaii.com/journal/article/financial-ratio-analysis-putting-the-numbers-to-work https://www.academia.edu/5180572/Financial_Ratio_Analysis_of_Firms_A_Tool_for_Decision_Making https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-5957.1987.tb00106.x/abstract.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The True Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone Antigo Essay Example For Students

The True Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone Antigo Essay ne essays Antigone: The True Tragic Hero Antigone, is the drama written by Sohpocles. There is still a great debate on who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone, Creon or Antigone. Many people believes that it must be Antigone, herself. This is because Antigone is an outstanding example of someone who did what she thought was right, while she was among fools, many hardships, and people who were discouragingly uncourageous. When the king Creon ordered that the body of Polyneices, Antigones brother, be left to rot unburied because he had died as a traitor, she tried to buried him even she knew that she would be punished. We will write a custom essay on The True Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone Antigo specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now She believed that a dead persons soul could not rest if that persons body was not buried so she chooses to challenge a powerful Creon, the king of Thebes in order to let her brother rest peacefully. This presents a huge problem for Antigone; she feels she must obey the laws of the gods and bury her brother, but the penalty would be earthly death. To me, Antigone is a hero, what she did for her brother was very respectful, not many could have the strength to do so in the same situation. However, I believe the true tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone is Creon, not Antigone. Creon, as king of Thebes, is at the top of the social ladder. Yet, not only is he king, he is also human and possesses frailties, which qualify him to make serious mistakes, and he possesses talents, which allow him also to excel. Hence, Creon is neither overly good nor bad. Appropriately, Creons station as king place shim in a position of great power, influence and responsibility. The extent of this power was quite evident when he sentenced Antigone to death for disobeying his proclamation. Creons tragic flaw was his hubris or his pride and arrogance in the face of divine powers. His downfall began when he denied the basic divine right of burial to Polyneices and was cemented when he condemned Antigone for her opposition to his law. When one closely examines Antigones reasons for burying her brother, it becomes clear that she was simply demonstrating her love, honor, and loyalty to her family. However, the reason that Creon is angered is that he feels injured and insulted that Antigone flagrantly and publicly disobeyed him. He was additionally inflamed that she was his niece and betrothed to his son, Haemon. Historically, when especially a woman threatens a mans authority,, his self-esteem is irreparably damaged. But he tired to fix the mistakes that he had made even he is a great king. The whole play is sad, it is make viewers feel anger and respectful. I do respect Antigone, but personally I respect Croen more since he is the king. With his such high position, he could still responsibly for his wrong actions. .